Kidnapping Terror
by bluegirl-783
Summary: Sequel to 'The Coronation'. It is 5 months after the coronation, and Clarisse, Joe, Mia and Nicholas are all blissfully happy in their new roles and lives...until someone is kidnapped!
1. Blissfully Happy

_Author's Note: Thanks to the sharp reader who found a typo mistake- here is the chapter, recorrected!_

_Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

"Joseph! Joseph, are you awake yet?" Clarisse Renaldi Bonnell, former Queen of Genovia, called as she entered her suite. It was a bright, sunny but cold December morning, and she had just taken Maurice for his morning walk.

In the past, while she had been Queen, she had delegated that task to one of her maids, but now that she had the time and the leisure, she got up and walked him- and loved it. Joseph usually accompanied her, but she hadn't wanted to disturb him this morning, so she had let him sleep in while she went outside. She loved being out in the fresh morning air, and today was no different, although it was considerably colder and snow was forecast for that very week.

"In here," she heard him call from the bedroom, and she walked in with a wide smile. She loved seeing him there, not outside as he had been for nearly thirty years, but in her suite as her…husband. He was sitting up in bed, reading, and his face lit up when he saw her.

"Good morning, darling!" she sang as she walked to his side of the bed, and sat down next to him.

"Good morning, my love…come here for a moment," he growled huskily as she giggled (a former Queen giggling' went through her mind, before she dismissed it) and leaned over as he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her further onto the bed, before giving her a long, sweet kiss.

"Why didn't you wake me up this morning? I would have been happy to come with you," he said when they finally broke apart, as Clarisse pulled herself up to lean against the bed head.

"Yes, I could have, but I decide to give you a treat this morning," she said wisely as he put an arm around her, and she snuggled in closer. "Besides, it was very cold out there!"

"Aren't you just the most generous woman I know?" he murmured as he kissed the top of her head. It would always delight him to hear her call him 'her husband'- it was all that he had ever wanted…and he still couldn't believe that she was his wife!

"Well, I was a Queen, you know."

"That's right, so you were!" Joseph pretended to think, but they both knew how big an obstacle that had been in their relationship. After so many years of denying their deep feelings, and stealing only a few kisses in recent years, it was relief to both of them that they were free to proclaim that they were in love, and were married.

He hadn't expected to marry her- when he had proposed, there had been a crisis with the Princess, and Clarisse had seriously thought that Viscount Mabrey would successfully steal the throne away. That was why she had to turn down Joe, although she had wanted to marry him desperately. But only after Mia was married and crowned…but even her supposed wedding didn't go smoothly, with Mia showing her spirit and declining to marry because of a law. Happily, she had been able to overturn the laws, and she was fully set on the path to be Queen. But, firstly, she had some wisdom….

"_Grandma? Just because I didn't get my fairy tale ending, doesn't mean you shouldn't"_ were the wise words a granddaughter gave her grandmother, and Clarisse realised that it was time for her to ignore everyone and everything else, and concentrate on herself and the only man who knew her better than anyone.

He had been so wonderful to her, and she knew that she may have hurt him beyond repair, but she had to try….

"_Dear Joseph," she emphasised the 'dear', smiling radiantly at him. "Am I too late to ask you to accept my hand in marriage?"_

_  
She was choking up, but she wanted this more than anything, especially now she knew that Mia was going to be alright. It seemed like an eternity before Joseph cleared his throat, and replied:  
"I thought you'd never ask."_

"What were you thinking about just now?" Joseph's voice brought her back from her daydream, and she smiled over at him- she could never keep any secrets from him, even when he had still been her bodyguard.

"I was just thinking about our wedding, and how I proposed to you in front of all those people."

Joseph leaned back, looking thoughtful, before bursting into laughter.

"That's right, how could I forget? I wasn't expecting my Queen to propose to me, in front of everyone!"

"I was so scared that I was going to lose you," she said honestly, opening up for the first time to how truly worried she had been that he might leave. "You knew I loved you, but I couldn't…"

He put a gentle finger on her lips and smiled lovingly at her.

"I knew what you were trying to do- you wanted Mia settled before you did anything else…And you weren't going to lose me…sure, I was tempted to resign that night, but then I realised that I would be making myself even unhappier when I couldn't see you…I comforted myself with the thought that, even if we weren't married, I would still be at your side…"

Clarisse looked at him in wonder when he finished, tears filling her eyes.

"I had no idea about…I was worried that I wouldn't have my Joseph around when I needed him…."

She blushed after that sentence, realising what she had said. She had unwittingly said 'my Joseph' but that was what she considered him to be. He smiled and pulled her closer.

"Well, all that matters is that we got married, and now I can call you 'my Clarisse'" he teased, before kissing her. "And then, a week later, our Princess got crowned, and you were no longer, officially, Queen of Genovia."

"I don't understand why Mia insisted that I am still given the same privileges and the title- I am no longer Queen." It still genuinely perplexed her, despite several explanations from Mia. Joseph pretended to look serious as he waved a finger at her.

"Because you are a Queen, and always will be to a lot of people. Mia was very sensible about that, and I was very proud of the way she included you in the entire day."

Clarisse smiled fondly at the memory.

"Yes, it's exactly what her father would have done…and that speech...I think I may have been tipsy when I did that!"

"No, you weren't. You spoke from your heart, to the granddaughter you loved, and everyone appreciated that…especially Mia."

There was a companionable silence as they sat and remembered every moment of that special day, before Joe broke the silence again.

"And now Mia is Queen, and we're living our happily ever after…so, what shall we do now?

Clarisse glanced at her watch.

"It's after eight, so we really should have our breakfast…and then the rest of the time is our own, until we meet Mia for lunch…"  
"That sounds wonderfully exciting- aren't you bored doing nothing, yet?"

"No- I actually love not doing anything- with you… we're on our own adventure…Oh yes, we do have to go Christmas shopping today- it's only a week to Christmas, you know."

"Let's just have breakfast first," Joe said as he got of bed and reached for his bathrobe. "And then we'll decide what we'll do."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Clarisse beamed as they walked, hand in hand, out to their waiting breakfast.

* * *

Meanwhile, Her Majesty Queen Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi was still in bed, fast asleep, as her best friend and personal assistant, Lily, entered the room. She clicked her tongue in disgust when she saw that Mia was still in bed, and the curtains were still drawn.

"Mia?" she began gently as she walked on tip toes towards the bed.

There was a small grunt from the bed, but Mia didn't move, and Lily knew that drastic action had to be taken. She took a deep breath, put her clipboard and pen down, and then jumped onto the lump in the bed.

"It's time to be up, Your Majesty!" Lily practically shouted, as Mia groaned, rolled over and then sat up, hair in her eyes. Only Lily would and could get away with doing something like that….still, it felt like dawn to her…

"Lily?" she whined sleepily. "Did you really have to do that?"

"Yes, I did," Lily said unsympathetically, now standing at the side of the bed, and signalled to the maids to open the curtains. "It's after eight, and you do want to get your work done before you go shopping this afternoon, don't you?"

"I guess so," Mia muttered under her breath as she stretched her arms skyward, before getting out of bed and reaching for her bathrobe.

"Good girl," Lily said encouragingly, before she walked out the door. From behind her, she could tell that Mia had just thrown a pillow, but it fell on the floor, no where near Lily.

"How did she get to be so bossy?" Mia muttered, and then smiled- it wasn't since she had become her personal assistant…she had always been bossy!

"Breakfast is ready!" Lily called from the other room as Mia shuffled in the general direction of the doorway. That was one thing she disliked about being monarch- she always had to get up early.

When she had been Princess, she had felt free to lie in as long as she wanted…but, then again, Clarisse had usually sent Charlotte in to wake her up.

"A Queen can never lie in bed all day," Clarisse had reminded her on more than one occasion.

"So, what's on the schedule for today?" Mia said with a yawn, as she reached for her cup of coffee and sat down at the table. Lily sat in the opposite chair, and glanced at her ever present clipboard, which had the Queen's daily schedule on it.

"Well, you have a meeting with Prime Minister Motez at 9:30, a session of parliament at 10:30, which should run for an hour or so, and then lunch with Clarisse and Joe. After lunch, you have a couple of hours to go shopping, and then you're having dinner with the Ambassadors from Spain and Portugal. All in all, I'd say you have a pretty light day."

"Yes, thank goodness! It's only a week till Christmas, and I haven't even started my shopping? By the way, are my grandmother and Joe attending the dinner tonight?"

"Yes, as are Prime Minister Motez and his wife, and several members of parliament….and yes, Nicholas is included. After all, he is a member of parliament now."

Since Viscount Mabrey had been forced to leave parliament, Mia had asked Nicholas to step into the breach and, despite some mutterings from some of Mabrey's former cronies, it was working out well.

Lord Devereaux was giving each issue serious consideration, and he wasn't backwards in stating his opinion. Luckily, they had been able to leave their arguments in parliament, and not let it spread to the rest of their relationship.

"Great…so am I running late?"

"No. Thanks to me, you're actually a little early!" Lily laughed, before she disappeared out of the room, leaving Mia to look around the room thoughtfully.

It still seemed like a dream, to be Queen of Genovia, even though the coronation had occurred 5 months before. She looked and sounded the same, when she looked in the mirror, Mia suddenly felt more grown up and responsible.

It helped that she had steadfast and loyal supporters in her grandmother, Joe, Lily, Nicholas and her mother, as well as the Prime Minister and parliament. But she had been most worried about the people- she had been afraid that, after her 'non-marriage', they would turn against her.

However, she had failed to take into account that they were happy that Clarisse had remarried, and Mia was so much like Clarisse and Phillipe…and it was obvious to them that she loved Genovia. She had found out afterwards that her entire speech from the pulpit had been televised, to rapt audiences, and there had been hundreds of phone calls afterwards, stating their support for the future Queen.

The coronation had been wonderful, but what made it more important to Mia was that Clarisse was there to share it with her. She knew that Clarisse deserved to be recognised for all the loyalty and devotion she had shown to the country over the years. She had sacrificed years of personal happiness with Joe to prove that she loved her country, but now…with Joseph…she was enjoying her own personal 'happily ever after' and Mia was genuinely overjoyed for her.

As for Mia herself, she was blissfully happy with Nicholas, and pleased that Lily was with her….at that moment, everything was right in her world.

"Haven't you finished breakfast yet?" she heard Lily yell from the door, and Mia only turned and grinned at her. Lily, her crazy best friend, was the best part of the palace- she had finished her graduate course at Berkley, and then had decided to come to Genovia to be Mia's personal assistant. It had been a timely decision, as Charlotte was entering parliament as a member.

It had been one of Mia's first decisions- some of the men were due to retire, and it was only sensible to replace them with, instead of the same tired old men with the same narrow views, women. There had been instant outrage from most of the very traditional members of parliament, but both Clarisse and Sebastian had supported her 100 , so the members had no choice but to comply.

"It is a brand new day, ladies and gentleman," Mia had said on the first day of parliament, smiling around at all the new members of parliament. She had come a long way since high school, and no one was going to push Mia Thermopolis Renaldi anymore!

* * *

By lunchtime, however, Mia was starving- when Lily had caught her not finishing her breakfast, she had pretended she had and had gone to change, leaving a half full bowl of cereal on the table. She had thought longingly of that cereal as she sat through parliament- the last session before Christmas- and she hoped that her stomach wouldn't embarrass her during the session…luckily, it hadn't. She had eaten enough to stave off major hunger pangs.

When she got to her suite at lunchtime, Clarisse and Joe were already there. They had had their shopping expedition that morning, and had mutually agreed that it would be wise to stay near the fire for the rest of the day, as the temperature had dropped even further since Clarisse had walked Maurice.

"See, that's why I didn't invite you out this morning!" she teased as Joe chivvied her into their waiting limousine. They had been shopping for a couple of hours, and he was freezing.

"And you were mad to go out in this weather!" he retorted as the car moved away from the curb. "Still," he added, looking out the tinted windows. "I think it's going to snow this afternoon."

"Don't you two have anything better to do than wait around here?" Mia joked as she shrugged off her jacket and stepped out of her shoes.

As usual, lunch was already set up for them, but Clarisse and Joe were still sitting on the sofa, grinning at each other. They were so cute, Mia thought to herself as she looked at them, the way they were obviously so crazy about each other.

"We did go shopping this morning, Mia," Clarisse began, before Joseph interrupted her.

"Which I would not have agreed to if I'd known how cold it was going to be outside!"

"Is it getting cold outside?" Mia asked as she sat down in a comfortable chair, as they waited for her maids to announce lunch. "I was hoping for a nice afternoon of shopping!"

"You're going this afternoon? I thought you had several meetings," Clarisse said as she leaned forward in her seat.

"Cancelled till tomorrow," Mia said cheekily, and then saw her maids standing beside the table. "Great, it's lunchtime! I'm starving!"

"Yes, from what I heard you didn't eat this morning, I can imagine you would be," Joe said as he held Clarisse's chair out for her, and then sat down beside her.

He had tried, once before, to do the same for Mia, but she had only blushed…obviously a task for young Lord Devereaux..

Mia stopped pouring out three glasses of water, and looked over at Joseph.

"Where did you hear that? Did Lily…I'll…."

"Maids know everything," Joe said significantly, and she looked back at her disappearing maids, and had to laugh.

"Okay, you win. But I don't like getting out of bed so early…okay, it was after eight," she added when she saw Clarisse raise an eyebrow. "But….but……"

"I believe we've been hearing this same complaint for the last five months," Clarisse said gently, smiling at Joseph and then Mia. "But it still doesn't change the fact that, as Queen, you have to get up early, does it?"

"No," Mia said ruefully. "I'm getting used to it….but, don't forget Grandma, I was at college for four years, and students make a lifestyle of sleeping in!"

She smiled charmingly over at both of them, and Clarisse and Joseph couldn't help but laugh.

"She's got you there, my dear," Joe said as he patted Clarisse's hand, before changing the subject.

"So, when were you planning on going shopping this afternoon…not that I don't envy who ever is going with you….this morning was a nightmare…" before he stopped as Clarisse gave him a look, which didn't last very long.

"Actually," Mia said as she buttered a slice of bread. "I was thinking of downsizing my security for when I go out shopping. It's really a waste of time."

"WHAT?!" both Clarisse and Joseph sputtered as they choked over their juices.

"You cannot possibly be serious about that, Mia," Joe chided gently- he could see that Clarisse was trying to find the right words. But Clarisse was suddenly gripped with a feeling of dread, a feeling she had had before, but couldn't exactly remember when.

"Probably not today, but I have Nicholas and Lily with me…and no one is going to do anything to me in Pyrus."

"But it's not safe for you, my dear," Clarisse said softly. "You are Queen of Genovia and, according to protocol, you are to be heavily protected at all times."

Clarisse didn't want to show it, but if she ever lost Mia, she didn't know how she would be able to cope. She had already lost her beloved son and, although she had Joseph, Mia was her only granddaughter, her closest relative, and her last link with Phillipe. She loved Mia more than anything, but when she was risking her life with little security….

As if he could read her mind, Joseph took her hand from under the table, and was surprised to feel it shaking.

"Mia, please be reasonable. Your grandmother and I worry about you- you are still so young, and I know that young people think that they are infallible against tragedy, but we don't want to lose you…."

Mia looked at them for a moment, genuinely touched that they were that concerned about her safety, and decided that she wouldn't worry them in any way.

"Fine, you both win. It was only an idea…I'm going to have my usual security there…thank you for caring so much," she said as she leaned over and took one of each hand in hers. "Besides, neither Nicholas nor Lily thought it was a great idea either."

After she had said that, both of them visibly relaxed, although Clarisse still couldn't shake off the feeling of foreboding.

"So, will you two be joining me for dinner tonight?" Mia asked as she sipped her water.

The three of them, plus Lily and Nicholas, usually had dinner together most nights, except when Mia wasn't available or had a formal occasion- in which case, Clarisse was usually attending those functions too.

"Yes, we will. I'm looking forward to seeing the Spanish Ambassador again- it's been a long time," Clarisse said pensively, and Joe looked over at her with mock anger.

"Is this another fan of yours?" he asked as Clarisse chuckled and patted his arm reassuringly. "I don't know how many admirers you have- exactly- but I'm beginning to suspect that I'll have a lot to keep an eye on!"

"Not that there aren't any wives that don't love dancing with you," Clarisse retorted gently as Mia watched them with a smile.

They were obviously so happy together, and she was delighted to see how happy Joseph made her grandmother. She herself had had no idea that they had had a secret 'thing' for the other for years, but Charlotte had filled her in on the details after the wedding.

"What are you smiling at, Mia?" Clarisse, suddenly aware that they were flirting in front of Mia, asked as she turned back to Mia with a smile.

"Just to see how happy the two of you are…I'm so happy for you."

"Stop it, you're making your grandmother blush!" Joe mock cried, but the two of them smiled lovingly at each other for a moment, before turning their smile onto Mia.

"And we're so happy for you, Mia. You're doing a wonderful job as Queen…all I ever wanted was you to be happy," Clarisse said softly, and Mia and Clarisse shared a look before they were interrupted by the two maids bring in dessert.


	2. The Queen is Missing

_Author's note: Don't worry, I've got others I'm working on at the moment, but this was a little fun! Hope you enjoy it!_

_The Princess Diaries and characters belong to Disney and Meg Cabot._

"I don't think I'm going to be able to eat again after that lunch," Joe winced as they walked back to their suite. Mia had already left on her shopping expedition with Nicholas and Mia, but promised to drop in when they came back.

"Although I'm not going to be able to show you everything I bought!" she said teasingly as she walked backward out the door.

"Yes, the kitchen did a fine job," Clarisse said distractedly- she was still bothered by a feeling of apprehension that she hadn't fully been able to shake off since lunch.

She had, for a moment, honestly thought that Mia was serious about downsizing her security, and she had been relieved when it had turned out that she had been joking, but this feeling…she couldn't put her finger on it, but she had a strange sense of déjà vu. Joseph instantly sensed it as they walked into their suite.

"What's wrong?" he turned to her as they sat down on the sofa- he could see that she was worried about something as her brow was furrowed and she was very quiet.

She didn't seem to hear him for a moment, before she turned to him with troubled eyes.

"I just have this feeling…maybe it's just because Mia had her little joke before…."

"Yes, and it wasn't funny…Mia should be a little more careful."

"I know it was meant to be a joke, but I have this feeling…of uneasiness…that something's going to happen this afternoon…."

Joseph could see that this was troubling her greatly, so he tried to reassure her. He knew how protective she was of Mia, but it was also partly from the overactive imagination he loved.

"Darling, she's going to be with Nicholas and Lily this afternoon- they're two guards on their own- along with all her protection…she is always well protected…there is nothing to worry about…Does this make you feel a little better?"

He wrapped both arms around her and drew her closer to him, as she leant her head on his shoulder, her features visibly relaxing. He always had a calming influence on her.

"Yes, that makes me feel better…I know that I'm silly to be thinking of it, but…"

"You don't have to explain it to me, my love. But she'll be back in a couple of hours, and you won't have to think about it before. Besides, she's been on plenty of shopping trips in the past few months…she's a very independent girl, our Mia…very much like her grandmother…Plus, it's Christmas- who would try anything on the Queen in the season of festivities!

"Yes, she is…"Clarisse replied softly as he turned her face to his and kissed her. "Now…I definitely feel better!"

"Good. So let's just relax on the couch for a while, and then maybe we could watch a DVD or something."

"As long as you work the DVD player- I'm absolutely hopeless with technology."

"Don't worry, I'll teach you."

* * *

"Can we go back to the palace now? I'm freezing!" Lily, never a big fan of shopping, grumbled as the three of them entered a jewellery store. Mia's protection had agreed to stand outside the doors- after all, it was only a small shop, and where could anyone else enter but through the front door?

"Only this store," Mia said soothingly. "I just have to pick up something for Grandma."

She already knew what she wanted to buy her grandmother- she had seen a gorgeous sapphire necklace and earring set that would suit her blue eyes and fair complexion perfectly. Joseph had agreed with her when Mia had asked his advice.

"Anything you bought she would love, Mia."

So, she walked over to the main counter to the waiting assistant, who gave her an ingratiating smile. She was still to get used to people fawning over her- although she had found it funny when her high school vice principal had practically thrown herself at Clarisse. Nicholas and Lily wandered over to the other side of the store, and her bodyguards were standing outside the doorway.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty. How may I help you this afternoon?"

"Good afternoon," Mia said properly, remembering her training from Clarisse. "I've actually been here before, and I'm here to pick up a package that I had set aside."

"Of course, Your Majesty. I'll just get it for you."

While she was waiting, she looked around the room- the store was empty, so everyone had obviously taken the weatherman's advice and stayed at home. It was a relief because every time she had come shopping, she had been inundated with cheers and calls, and the press had followed her every move, making it very hard to move from shop to shop, which were usually jam packed with people.

"Here you are, Your Majesty. I can see that you've already paid for it, so I'll just put it in a bag for you….there you are…Have a nice day, Your Majesty."

"Thank you," Mia smiled at him, before placing her parcel in her bag and turning towards the door, where the other two were waiting.

Suddenly…..there was a loud bang, and the room was quickly full of smoke.

"Lily! Nicholas!" Mia called, trying not to inhale the smoke. She had had several close encounters with fires, but an explosion…that was something new.

"Over here!" she vaguely heard Lily's voice from the direction of the door, and she began to make her way over there before she realised that there was someone directly behind her.

"If you will just follow us, Your Majesty, I'll take you out the side entrance and round to the front," an unfamiliar and deep voice said.

She squinted in the smoke- she couldn't see who it was, but whoever it was wearing the palace security uniform, so she turned back in the direction Lily and Nicholas and called:

"Someone's taking me out the side entrance- I'll meet you out the front!"

She willingly followed the man out the side entrance, and was surprised to see more unfamiliar men and an unrecognisable car waiting outside. All of the men were wearing balaclavas, and she suddenly felt a dreadful sensation in her stomach.

"Where are…" she began before she felt someone from behind her grip her arm tightly.

"If you get in the car and be quiet, no one has to get hurt," the person growled, but before she could move towards the 4WD, another man stepped forward and blindfolded her and put a gag in her mouth. They helped her into the 4WD, as someone from inside gripped her other arm tightly.

"You won't get hurt if you follow our instructions," he hissed into her ear as she leant back in the seat. Someone was binding her hands, while someone else was binding her feet.

She was completely helpless now…hopefully someone would be able to find her, otherwise…who knew what was going to happen!

* * *

"Where did she say she was going to meet us?" Nicholas asked as he and Lily watched as fire fighters raced into the smoke filled building.

The police and the ambulance had also been called, and were waiting nearby. They had already spoken to Lily, Nicholas and the security detail, but they had been unable to provide much information.

'She said that someone was showing her out, and she'd meet us out here…but that was ten minutes ago!" Lily glanced at her watch. "And none of our guys knew that there was a security detail in the side entrance- or that there was even a side entrance!"

"Maybe it was some plain clothes policemen, and they've taken her back to the palace," Nicholas suggested as the firemen emerged from the building, and from the side street, empty handed- Mia wasn't with them.

"I think we should get back there. It is likely that they've taken her there- after all, it sounded like a mini explosion in there, and they are so careful with security, especially with the Queen," Nicholas said calmly, but they exchanged a nervous look.

When the cars pulled up in front of the palace, Nicholas and Lily raced up the stairs, two at a time, to meet Charlotte and Sebastian, who were chatting in the hallway.

"Has Mia come back here?" Nicholas asked, trying to stay calm but hoping that what he was thinking hadn't happened.

"We've been in a meeting all afternoon, so we haven't seen anyone come and or go. But the last time I saw her, she was going shopping with you two," Charlotte explained.

"Why?" Sebastian asked sharply- he instantly had had the same thought as Lily and Nicholas.

"There was some sort of explosion at the jewellery store we were in, and we couldn't get to Mia as the room was full of smoke, so she told us that someone was taking her out, and she'd meet us around the front.." Lily began, speaking rapidly, before Nicholas continued.

"But we waited there for nearly 20 minutes, and she hadn't come, so we thought that she may have been brought back here."

"The same men have been with you all afternoon, and have followed you back," said a voice behind them, and they were joined by Shades. "There were 3 details with you, and three here with Her Majesty and Joe."

"Let's just have a look around the palace- she's probably somewhere around here," Charlotte said calmly as the five of them split up, going in different directions.

"Mia? Are you here?" Lily called tentatively as she peered through the doorway leading into the living room. However, there was no movement, and it was clear that she hadn't been back.

As she walked out of the suite, she collided with Nicholas, Charlotte, Shades and Sebastian- all of whom were out of breath.

"What about the kitchen?" Lily asked, but then Mia's two maids appeared in the hallway.

"Have you seen Her Majesty Queen Amelia in your travels?" Sebastian asked the two girls, who looked at each other, and then back at the anxious faces.

"No, Your Excellency, we haven't. We thought that Her Majesty was with Lily and Lord Devereaux…" one of them said quickly.

Everyone looked at each other soberly, their worst suspicions confirmed- Her Majesty was missing.

"I…I think we'd better call the police," Lily said soberly, and the others nodded, before Charlotte looked around.

"But someone has to tell Clarisse as well!" They all looked at each other uncomfortably- who was going to be the one who would tell the former Queen that her only granddaughter was missing?

* * *

"So, what did you think of that movie?" Clarisse asked pointedly as the credits began to roll, and Joe switched off the television. She sat up from her position of leaning on Joseph's chest, and looked amusedly at him. They had already watched one of his favourite action movies, so they had just finished watching one of Clarisse's favourite romance movies. Joseph made a face, and stood up to stretch.

"It was alright, but there was too much romance in it…"

"I see," Clarisse said thoughtfully as she too stood up to stretch. "So, it's alright that we can enjoy a little romance in our lives, but it's not right to have it in the movies?"

"Well, if you think of it in terms of the movie, they'll probably have a serious argument or two down the track, and decide to divorce."

"Really?" Clarisse looked at him, both eyebrows raised. "So, are we going to get a divorce in ten years, or when we have a big fight?"

""No, no, no," Joe said hastily, walking the few steps to pull her in for a hug. "I would never divorce you…I've waited too long to be married to you to get divorced…."

"That's nice!" Clarisse sniffed, but she wasn't exactly miffed.

"You know what I mean, and you know we will be together forever…but this was just a movie!"

"I can see that I'm going to have to educate you with the classics," Clarisse said with a heavy sigh, but a smile was creeping onto her face as he kissed her. 'What time is it, by the way?"

"About three o'clock," Joe said, glancing at his watch.

"Good. Afternoon tea time," and she strolled happily over to where her ever present tea pot and two cups were waiting.

"Did you ever have afternoon tea when you were guarding me?"

"Not unless you were in your suite, then I could go have a good cup of tea…"

"And watch me on your television screen," Clarisse finished with a smile.

"Yes…but funnily enough, I only ever had time to have tea or coffee at breakfast or before I went to bed."

"Now you can have it any time you want," Clarisse concluded as she carefully carried over two cups of tea to him, and he helped put them on the table. "I assume that Mia will be back soon, and dying to show me what she bought."

"Not from this trip, I don't think," Joe said teasingly- he had thoroughly approved of what Mia was buying Clarisse. He himself had bought her an 'engagement ring' (although they had been married for five months!) and other little presents…he loved buying things for his wife. He never had been able to before, so he was going to spoil her this Christmas!

"Do you know what she's getting me?" Clarisse looked at him wide eyed and pleading, and as much as Joe melted at her look, he wasn't going to break this secret.

Thankfully, he was rescued by a knock on the door.

"Come in!" he called, relieved for the distraction- Clarisse could be very persuasive when she wanted to be- and the door slowly opened and in stepped Charlotte, Lily, Nicholas, Sebastian Motez and Shades, Joe's former sidekick and now head of security.

"I think you came a bit late for afternoon tea…besides, we don't have any more cups!" Joseph said jovially as the group walked slowly towards them, but he quickly sensed a very sober mood among them.

He glanced quickly at Clarisse- she was still unaware of any changes, thinking that they were all thawing from their outdoor adventure- before glancing at Charlotte, who indicated that she wanted to speak to him.

"So, back from your shopping so soon?" Clarisse asked cheerfully as Lily and Nicholas smiled, a little wanly, at her. "We were thinking of going out tonight, and wanted to know if you both wanted to join us…and Mia…Where is Mia, by the way? I assume she's in her suite modelling clothes!"

Both Nicholas and Lily opened their mouths, as if they were going to speak, but nothing came out. Clarisse looked over at Joseph who was talking to Charlotte, and when she saw him bring a hand up to his mouth, the feeling she had had all afternoon suddenly reappeared.

She looked from one sombre face to the other, growing more and more puzzled, not to mention a little scared, when she suddenly felt Joseph sit down beside her and take her hand in his.

"What's wrong? Why isn't Mia with you?"

She was getting a little frustrated- there were all these people in her suite- not one of them were Mia- yet no one was telling her anything. Charlotte nodded encouragingly at Nicholas and Lily.

"We…were down in Pyrus, and we were going to a jewellery store to buy your present, Your Majesty. The store was…empty, but there was security everywhere outside…" Lily began falteringly, before dissolving into rare tears as Nicholas continued the story.

"There was an explosion inside the store, and it completely filled with smoke. We got separated from Mia- some of Shade's men got us out, but somehow other people got Mia out the side entrance…She said she would meet us outside, but we…were waiting there for 20 minutes, and she never showed…." Nicholas broke off.

"They came back to the palace, and asked Sebastian and I whether we had seen her, which we hadn't, so we checked everywhere we could think of…and we've had to call the police," Charlotte finished the story calmly, but even she looked devastated.

'What are you trying to tell me? Was Mia hurt in the explosion? Is she alright? What are you all trying to say?"

Clarisse was desperately trying to keep her emotions in control, but she was getting more and more upset. She looked towards Joseph, who turned her towards him and took both hands in his, squeezing tightly.

"The police suspect that Mia has been kidnapped."

Clarisse stared at him in disbelief for a moment, before she began to smile- this was all a joke!

"You're playing a joke on me, aren't you? It's a good joke, although I won't be happy when Mia finally appears…."

Joe turned to Charlotte who, in turn, nodded to Shades at the doorway, and in stepped two police officers.

As Clarisse looked at the two officers, and the official uniforms met her eyes…the smile disappeared off her face, and she turned white as a ghost.

"Is it true, officers?" she croaked, slowly standing up.

"Yes, Your Majesty. We suspect that Her Majesty has been kidnapped."

Clarisse looked around the room, desperately trying to find a face that would tell her it wasn't true…as she looked, the room suddenly began to spin like a merry-go-round, and everything went black as she fainted into Joseph's arms.


	3. It's Official: Mia's been kidnapped

_Author's note: Here's the next chapter- and thank you to those who have encouraged me to keep writing this story. I wasn't sure after the second chapter, but now I'm really into it! Hope you are enjoying it- it's mainly from the perspective of Clarisse and Joe! _

_The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me- it belongs to Disney and Meg Cabot_

"Clarisse? Clarisse?"

From far away, she heard a voice calling her name, and she fought her way through the darkness to where the voice was coming from. She slowly opened her eyes, and found herself lying flat out on their bed. She looked at the ceiling for a moment, before looking over to her right to see Joseph sitting close up to the bed, her hand in his. For an instant, she wondered why she was lying down, and why was Joseph looking at her with such concern- she didn't have the flu, and she was badly injured…

"Why am I lying here, Joseph?" she asked softly as she rolled onto her right side so she was facing him. He looked away for a moment, and then took her hands in his again.

"Mia…" he began slowly, as she suddenly remembered what had happened. Someone had told her that Mia had been kidnapped, and the world had spun around for a moment, before dissolving into black.

Joseph watched her face furrow into a frown- everyone had been shocked to see the usually composed and steady Queen faint- she hadn't even fainted when her son had been killed- but no one had realised how deeply she felt about Mia. After she collapsed, he had carried her into the bedroom while everyone else discreetly disappeared downstairs.

"Mia's missing," she said softly, almost to herself, before she slowly began easing herself up off the bed. Joe looked alarmed as she tried to sit on the side of the bed.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, darling…you've just had a very big shock…"

Clarisse gave him one of her iciest looks- and he remembered all too clearly from when she was angry- but it melted when she looked at him. She knew that he was trying to help her, but what she really needed at the moment was to know what was going on.

"Where are the police?" she asked as she took his arm and slowly stood up, leaning heavily on him for a moment as the room started spinning around again, but then quickly disappeared.

"They were down at the store, but now they're down in the library…they're having a meeting, and they asked me to attend, but I didn't want to leave you…"

"We can go down together," Clarisse said calmly as she gave herself the once over in a nearby mirror, smoothing down her ruffled hair and clothes, and walked out of the bedroom.

Joe followed behind, rather uneasily- despite her fainting turn, she was still so calm about the whole situation…but, then again, he had never known the former Queen to fall apart as soon as something terrible happened. But he also knew that when the shock finally hit her, it was going to knock her around…and he wanted to make sure that he was there when it happened.

"Joseph?" she asked, back to him, as she waited for him to open the main suite door for her.

"Yes, Clarisse?" he replied softly as he opened the door, and she stepped through, before he followed after her.

"Don't leave me," she finished quietly, and took his hand in hers as he stood by her side, ready to go to the library.

"There was nowhere else I was going to be," he said firmly, squeezing her hand gently. She gave him a small smile, before taking a deep breath and looking down the hall. Somewhere, down there, someone knew what had happened to her granddaughter.

"I guess we'd better go down there."

* * *

Everyone looked slightly surprised when Clarisse and Joseph walked into the room, hand in hand, but no one said a word- everyone knew of the close bond between grandmother and granddaughter, and that Clarisse would do anything to have her back. Apart from Lily, Nicholas, Charlotte, Shades and Sebastian, there were also two police officers present- one was older, and had a moustache, while the other was younger and clean shaven. Clarisse tried to think of their names- she had met them before- but her mind drew a complete blank.

They had all been sitting around the table, but Lily and Nicholas quickly stood up to make room for them. Joe held Clarisse's chair out for her, and sat down beside her, quickly retaking her hand.

"We found these in the alley near the shop," the older officer said calmly, as he passed Mia's favourite handbag to Clarisse, who nearly gasped.

It was a beautiful black leather bag- she had given it to Mia for her 20th birthday, and it had gone everywhere with her. This bag only confirmed the news she had been trying to deny- Mia was truly missing.

"Yes, this is her bag- I bought it for her birthday," Clarisse's voice shook slightly, but only Joe and Charlotte noticed.

"We tested for prints, but there were none on there, apart from Her Majesty's, so they weren't intending on mugging her. We also searched the bag, but nothing incriminating was found," the younger officer added as Clarisse slowly put her hand in and pulled out Mia's mobile phone.

She never went anywhere without her phone, she thought wryly as she continued pulling out items from Mia's bag. There wasn't much, only her lip gloss, her wallet and a smooth box with the jeweller's insignia on it.

"May I?" she looked toward the police, who nodded. She slowly opened the lid, and gasped when she saw the beautiful sapphire necklace and earrings. She didn't know where to look for a moment, but she felt Joe lean close to her for a moment, and murmur in her ear:  
"She bought them for you for Christmas."

She kept her head down, blinking back tears hurriedly, and closed the lid of the box. Thankfully, the others were distracted by another police officer entering the room, and whispering to the officer in charge, which allowed Clarisse time to compose herself. Joseph squeezed her hand tightly- he could see that she was struggling with her emotions, but her reserved nature would soon calm her down…until later. She looked up when the officer cleared his throat and, sure enough, she was calm and composed.

"Well, it's just been confirmed- Her Majesty has been kidnapped, and we've just received a phone call saying that the ransom is….10 million dollars."

Just hearing the amount of money almost made Clarisse swoon again, but she took a deep breath, and the feeling passed.

"So now what do we do?" Nicholas, who had been sitting there quietly, stood up looking wild eyed. Everyone's eyes instantly turned to Clarisse, and Joe felt sorry for her- everyone was clearly relying on her to do the thinking, even when she was undergoing one of the most turbulent times of her life.

"Alright," Clarisse took a deep breath, back in control again, and looked around the table, stopping on particular people.

"Sebastian, I think we'd better call an emergency session of parliament. I will be stepping into Mia's shoes for now, won't I?"  
"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Lily and Nicholas, can you please help Charlotte and Sebastian do that? Next, can someone please call my press secretary and get her to prepare a press release as soon as possible to the media? I'm sure that they will be all over it soon enough."

"The police force will help you with that, Your Majesty," the older officer spoke up, and she nodded distractedly.

"Your Majesty," Shades began hesitantly, and Clarisse looked at him. "I think, for the time being, security is going to be a lot tighter around the palace, and with you. I'm sorry…"

"That's fine," Clarisse smiled briefly. "But, don't forget, I am married to the best in the business," she smiled over at Joseph. "And he won't let anything happen to me. And I…" she said, squeezing Joseph's hand tightly. "Must call her mother in San Francisco…"

She was not looking forward to that….but just having Joseph in the room, by her side, made her feel a little better.

* * *

"I wish I didn't have to do this, Joseph," Clarisse said quietly when they entered her private study, and she walked over to the phone waiting on the desk.

"You don't have to, you know. I could always tell her for you," Joseph said gently, putting an arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head against his shoulder for a moment, and sighed.

"No, it wouldn't be right. Helen deserves to hear it from me…but thank you for offering."

She sighed again, before steeling herself and sitting down in her chair, pulling the phone towards her. She waited a few moments after dialling- the international operator had to connect her to San Francisco….suddenly, someone picked up the phone.

"Hello?" came Helen Thermopolis O'Connell's cheerful voice. There was a slight pause as Clarisse tried to gather her thoughts.

"Hello? Is there anyone there?"

"Hello, Helen," Clarisse finally said, after a great deal of effort. "It's Clarisse."

"Clarisse?" Helen sounded momentarily surprised before her voice warmed up. "Hi Clarisse. How are you? It's been a long time since we've spoken on the phone…Is Mia getting up to mischief?"

She sounded amused and Clarisse hated to break her bubble, but she knew she had to dive in and tell her the news.

"Helen, I've had to call under difficult circumstances…" she began, still trying to work out what she was going to say.

"What's wrong? Is Mia alright?" There was now a note of panic and worry in Helen's voice- although the Queen usually sounded reserved on the phone in previous conversations, she thought that she sounded a little upset this time.

"There's no easy way to say this…"Clarisse continued, before taking a deep breath and diving in. "Mia has been kidnapped, and the ransom has been set for 10 million dollars."

There was a long silence on Helen's end of the phone and Clarisse, quietly panicking, wanted to hang up the face, but she looked up into Joseph's calm face, and felt stillness sweep over her.

"Helen, are you still there?" Clarisse asked cautiously, before she heard crying on the phone.

"I knew this could happen….I knew this could happen" was all Helen could say, and Clarisse herself was struggling to keep her own tears to herself. After a moment, Helen took an audibly shaky breath.

"What happened?"

"Mia, Lily and Nicholas were shopping down in Pyrus, there was some sort of explosion and…I believe impostors took her out the side entrance, while her security guards got Lily and Nicholas out the front way. She was well protected, Helen, I can assure you of that."

There was another pause as both women tried to get their thoughts together about Mia, and what had just happened.

"I will keep you up to date with the investigation if you wish…" Clarisse said hesitantly, before Helen interrupted her.

"Thank you Clarisse, but I think it would be better if we were there…" There was a brief pause. 'But thank you for contacting me before the press did."

"Helen, you are the mother of my granddaughter, who is Queen of Genovia. You were the first person who deserved to know this. I hope you have a safe trip to Genovia. Let Charlotte know when your plane is due, and I'll send a car to the airport."

"Thank you, Clarisse…I…appreciate it…" as she collapsed into tears again. It was her worst nightmare come true- her daughter had been kidnapped!

Clarisse sighed heavily as she replaced the receiver, and look up at Joseph half calmly and half tiredly.

"She took that very well, considering."

"What now, my dear?" He was still very concerned about her.

"Parliament should be waiting for me now…and yes, please come with me. I know you'll have to sit in the public gallery, but just having you there will be a great comfort."

"I know that, Clarisse," he said softly, taking her into his arms for a quick hug, and then offering his arm, which she accepted. It was hard to believe that, only that morning, all she had been worried about was what they were going to do that day.

* * *

The parliament session was very subdued- none of the current members had ever heard of a sovereign being kidnapped, let alone a pretty young Queen, 5 months into her reign. Clarisse felt slightly strange sitting back in the sovereign's chair but, she reminded herself, it wasn't going to be permanent.

"I'm sure His Excellency Prime Minister Motez has already informed you of the situation. I would just like to add that I am only stepping into the breach temporarily. As soon as Her Majesty is found and restored to her position, I will be happily stepping aside."

There was a slight pause before Sebastian Motez stepped into the void.

"If there is anyone here who could think of anyone that may hold a grudge against Her Majesty, or has any ideas of where she could be, I must ask that you inform the police as soon as possible."

"What about Viscount Mabrey?" one asked hesitantly, and both Clarisse and Sebastian instantly looked at each other.

"Yes…he was always causing trouble, and wanted his own nephew on the throne…" and the speaker glared at Nicholas, who was sitting in seat, his head hung, but he didn't seem to be listening to the conversation around him.

"I would like to point out that Lord Devereaux has had nothing to do with this, and he has my full confidence and support behind him," Clarisse stood up and stated clearly. All the mutterings and whispers instantly hushed down, as they all turned to look at the Queen and Prime Minister.

"Prime Minister Motez is about to hold a press conference with some of the press, in the media room. I would ask you all to please not comment to any questions you are asked regarding this matter, and that all questions be referred to the office of the Prime Minister."

"Why?" one foolhardy, but hardly young, parliamentarian dared to venture, and Clarisse turned to look at him with one of her iciest glares- only this time, she didn't melt one inch.

"Lord Podmore, in case you hadn't realised, Genovia's current Queen has been kidnapped. This is no time for rash actions, or silly attention schemes to gain your five minutes of fame. My granddaughter is missing, and I am acting regent until she is found and restored to her proper position. I warn you, and everyone else in this room, that if I hear one word that has not been sanctioned by the palace or the office of the Prime Minister, I will take a very dim view, and there may be possible consequences for those people."

She was now really angry- how dare they try and get their own five minutes of fame when there was virtually a national emergency on their hands?

"And I will not be pleased either," Sebastian added hastily- he could see that Her Majesty's emotions, for a moment, had gotten the best of her and, like Joseph, he didn't want her to lose it in front of parliament, particularly the select group who were still loyal to Viscount Mabrey.

"I think that will be all today- I will keep you informed on the situation," Sebastian added, and rapped his gavel, indicating that the session was finished.

"Are you alright?" Joseph asked her as soon he got near enough to her to take her hand. She smiled at him for a moment.

"I'm fine…I just got so angry at the thought of all these people trying to get their own five minutes of fame over Mia's kidnapping."

"Yes, I could literally see steam pouring out of your ears," he teased gently as they walked upstairs. Clarisse couldn't bear attending the press conference, so they were going to watch it, live, via the television in their suite.

However, she didn't seem to hear his joke as they walked past Mia's suite- they were only three doors down from her. It was hard not to walk into the room, as she had always done, and see Mia there, chatting to Lily, working at her desk, or trying on new clothes. Joseph squeezed her hand understandingly as they walked silently past it, and then into their suite where Charlotte, Lily and Nicholas were waiting.

Neither Lily nor Nicholas looked up when they came in, and Clarisse made a mental note to speak to them afterwards.

"The press conference should be about to start," Charlotte said, switching on the television as Clarisse and Joe sat, side by side, on the couch. At the sound of Sebastian's voice, both Lily and Nicholas looked up.

"_It is with much regret that I wish to inform the people of Genovia that Her Majesty Queen Amelia Renaldi has been kidnapped. She was kidnapped this afternoon in the main square of Pyrus, and has not been seen since. We have received a letter indicating that the kidnappers want $10 million in exchange for Her Majesty, and the palace is working in conjunction with the police to work on that." _

Sebastian finished what he was saying, and instantly there were a heap of voices badgering him, or the Chief of Police, for more details.

"I am so glad I am not down there," Clarisse said softly as she watched both men try to answer as many questions as they could.

"If the chief of police is here, then where are the other police looking?" came from Nicholas, and they all looked over at him. "I know that they are here in the palace, but where else are they looking for her?"

"There are no suspects as yet, Nicholas," Joseph began calmly, before Clarisse interrupted him.

"Nicholas, Lily," she rose from her seat and walked over to where they were huddled, and sat down in the chair opposite them. "Look at me."

Reluctantly, they both looked at Clarisse- Lily's eyes were red rimmed, and Nicholas was in genuine anguish, and Clarisse felt appreciative of their obviously deep feelings for her Mia.

"I just want to tell you that I am so grateful that you two were with her when this happened…I know that you were separated when the explosion occurred, but I'm still glad that you waited to see if she would come around to the front. I can see that you both care very deeply about Mia, and I want you to stop feeling guilty about her kidnapping. There was nothing you could have done, and you did the right thing by checking to see if she was here."

She leaned forward and took each of their hands in hers.

"She is going to be alright, I know she is, and I don't want you two to ever feel guilty about today. It wasn't your fault."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," they said in unison, and their features visibly relaxed after Clarisse had spoken. They had both been worried that Clarisse would blame them for taking her out shopping, and then managing to be separated from her.

From the other side of the room, Joseph was feeling proud- it was obvious that the young people had felt guilty and, despite her own anguish (no matter how deeply hidden it was), Clarisse had sensed that and spoke to them about it.

"The press conference is over," Charlotte said quietly as the five of them stared at the floor for a moment. Clarisse shook her head, and then looked at Charlotte.

"What now, Charlotte?"

"Everything is done, Clarisse," Joe spoke up instead of Charlotte. "Now all we can do is wait."


	4. The Nightmare

_Author's note: Sorry this is rather late, but I've been pretty busy with assignments! But this was a nice chapter to write and YES I deliberately split the conversation between Clarisse and Joe up…just so you could see how Mia was going!_

_The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me- it belongs to Meg Cabot and Disney._

It was a very quiet meal- Charlotte and Shades had gone down to speak to the police, and Joe had the feeling that both Nicholas and Lily were going to pace their rooms all night. Clarisse herself wasn't particularly interested in food, or conversation, although she smiled at him occasionally. Joseph was beginning to think that the shock was finally beginning to hit her.

After barely touching her meal, Clarisse wandered listlessly towards the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Joseph, more than a little concerned, asked as he followed her to the doorway of the darkened bedroom. She turned and gave him a weary smile.

"I think I might go to bed early, Joseph. Today has been….and I think I'm going to need all the rest I can."

"Do you want me to join you?"

"No, no, it's probably very early for you. I'll see you in the morning," she said as she kissed his cheek tenderly, and disappeared into her dressing room, closing the door gently behind her.

Joseph looked at her closed door for a moment, and then walked back out into the living room. She was very tired, obviously, but she still hadn't given in to her emotions, which was what was really worrying Joseph. He sat down on the couch, and turned on the television, staring mindlessly at the images on the screen.

Clarisse had been so steadfast and calm throughout the afternoon- even her reserved nature had controlled the moments of emotion she had almost caved into- but he wanted her to let her anguish and distress out.

She had been trained from birth not to show emotion, and her long marriage to Rupert had only cemented the thought into her mind. There had been very few times Joe himself had seen her break down, Phillipe's death being one of them, but since their marriage, she was beginning to open up, and release some long repressed emotions.

"I have just been trained since I was young girl that emotions should never been shown," she had explained to him one afternoon. "It's not that I don't feel, but I was taught and constantly reminded that royalty must never show their emotions- publicly or privately."

Being the obviously warm and caring woman he knew and loved, her marriage to Rupert must have been a nightmare, he thought to himself as he watched the cartoon on the screen. His Majesty had been kind and friendly to everyone, but no one had ever known what he had thought or felt- not his mistresses, not his sons, and most especially not his wife. He had been a man's man, in a man's profession, and with a parliament that firmly believed that emotions weren't necessary.

"Joseph?" he heard a soft voice from the doorway, and he looked up from the television screen to see Clarisse standing there, beautiful in a pale blue nightgown, and almost shaking.

"What is it, sweetheart?" he asked, turning the television off before standing up and walking over to her.

"I know I said that you didn't have to come to bed now, but I….I don't want to be alone…" she looked at him a little nervously, and he pulled her close for a hug.

"Don't worry, darling. I wasn't watching anything on television, anyway. I was just about to come to bed anyway."

He quickly undressed, switched off the light, and climbed into bed next to her. She moved closer to him, and he put his arms around her protectively as she snuggled closer.

"I always feel safe when you're near by, Joseph," she said quietly.

"Well, as you said before, you are married to the best former security guard in the business. No wonder you feel safe- but I feel safest when you're around," he joked tenderly, and he was relieved to hear her laugh gently in the dark.

"Did you know that, when I was a little girl, I used to be afraid of the dark?"

"So was I , but if you tell anyone…."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone…just as long as you don't tell anyone about me."

Her voice was warmer now, and she had stopped shaking. It was true- he did make her feel more secure whenever he was near, even when he had 'only' been her bodyguard. She had often felt safer with him then when she was with anyone else- or even Rupert.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" he whispered softly into her hair, and she looked at him, her smile lighting up her face.

"Not since this morning…but I love you too…."she murmured as she laid her head against his chest, and her breathing slowly deepened. "Always…." She hummed sleepily, and Joe then realised that she was almost asleep.

He himself wasn't at all sleepy- Mia's kidnapping had him puzzled, and he was thinking- the police were looking into every lead they had but, at the moment, there were very few leads. It was less than a week before Christmas, temperatures were set to drop in the next couple of days, and whoever had Mia could even be hiding her in a basement!

He was already thinking of starting his own investigation, and he knew that he could count on Shades to help him…possibly even Sebastian or Nicholas, if he wasn't too upset. He would wait to see what the police had found in the morning, but he couldn't bear thinking of what could be happening to his princess, or seeing Clarisse in so much pain….

Just then, Clarisse suddenly twitched in her sleep- but she hadn't made a sound, so he wasn't worried. Clarisse normally didn't twitch in her sleep, but she may have had a cramp. After a brief twitch, it stopped…for a few minutes, then started again, only now she was murmuring softly….he couldn't make out what she was saying….

Suddenly she started shaking terribly, and calling out "NO! NO! Leave her alone!"

"Clarisse?" he whispered, gently shaking her, but she continued dreaming and shaking, before she sat upright in bed.

"NO! Not Mia!" she literally screamed, tears pouring down her face. She looked around, momentarily disorientated, before Joseph had her in his arms, holding her close.

"Oh, Joseph…I had…had….the….most….horrible dream…." She sobbed, burying her face into his pyjama shirt as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"It's alright, my love, it's alright…I'm here now…and it was only a dream…"

He reached over with one arm, and turned on the bedside light, before wrapping his arm back around her.

"Why? W-w-why her? She's only just begun…who have….had….something against her?" she continued to sob, her whole body wracked with tears.

The nightmare had been horrible- she had dreamt that someone (she didn't know who) had placed a gun at Mia's head, and then shot her.

"Joseph….why would….someone do that? To their own….Queen? A beautiful girl? Why? I don't want to lose her!"

She looked up at him with tear filled blue eyes, and Joseph felt a mix of love and compassion for her- it was finally coming out. The shock had hit her, and he was so glad that it was in the privacy of their bedroom, and that no one else was around.

"I have no idea, darling," Joe said honestly, continuing to hold her and pat her back softly. "But I'll tell you something," he tipped her face to his.

"We are going to find her….she is going to be found."

His resolved had strengthened after seeing his wife's tear stained face. She loved Mia more than anything, and if anything happened to her…he almost shuddered to think what that would do to Clarisse.

"Thank you… I know that you and Shades will help them as much as possible…I just want her back safe and healthy…"Clarisse sighed shakily, and leaned up against the bed head, Joe's arm still around her.

"It's just that this brings back a lot of memories…."

She trailed off, thinking of the pain she had endured when Phillipe had been killed but, as usual, Joseph had been by her side, listening when she had wanted to talk, and even holding her close for a hug, as a friend. She wouldn't have made it through that without him, and she doubted she could make it through this without him.

"Thank you," she said softly, running a hand down his cheek, as he looked at her in surprise.

"Thank you for what?"

"Just thank you for being here when I needed you."

"I'm your husband, Clarisse. This is what I'm here for- I will always be by your side."

"For which I will always be very grateful."

There was a silence, and then Joe asked the question he didn't want to ask, but he had to know.

"What was the dream about?"

He expected tears again, but she only shuddered and huddled closer to him, like a frightened child.

"I dreamt….I dreamt that she was shot."

* * *

Meanwhile, far away and in a dark room, Her Majesty Queen Amelia Renaldi slowly opened her eyes….to more darkness. This was unusual, she thought to herself, that her maids hadn't opened her curtains this morning, or that Lily hadn't bounded in and jumped on her, as she had this morning!

She couldn't see anything- the room was completely black- but, as she tried to move, she was surprised to feel that she wasn't in her bed….she was sitting in a chair, and her arms and legs were positioned awkwardly, as if they were tied to the chair somehow…Who on earth had tied her to a chair, in her own palace? It wasn't a practical joke, surely!

Suddenly, everything had come rushing back…she, Lily and Nicholas had been shopping when there had been an explosion, and the store had been filled with smoke. She had been separated from the other two, and two unknown men had escorted her out the side entrance instead. As she had realised that the two men hadn't worked for the palace, they had gagged and blindfolded her, and helped into the car- she could still remember one man hissing

_"You won't get hurt if you do everything we say."_

She couldn't remember anything from then, but her head felt sore, and she suddenly realised that they had knocked her on the head with something really hard, and she had passed out…the pain was excruciating, and Mia wished if she could feel a lump.

"HELP!" she suddenly screamed out- if she was hidden somewhere, it would only be a matter of time before people would be looking for her. She shivered slightly- it was cold, wherever she was, and frightened, but she wasn't going to let her captors see that.

"HELP! IS THERE ANYONE THERE? PLEASE HELP!" she screamed again, and as she paused, she heard chairs being scraped against the roof of her prison…she was in the basement of a house, she quickly surmised.

"HELP! HELP!" she shouted again, completely forgetting her grandmother's rule that Queens never shouted- Mia was perfectly sure that, if Clarisse was in the same position, she would be doing the same thing.

As she thought of Clarisse, Mia felt a little guilty about the joke she had made at lunchtime- although it had been in jest, she could tell that it had upset Clarisse deeply. Mia had been touched at their concern, but she now understood that their fears for her safety were more than reasonable, and deeply rooted.

Now that she thought about it, Mia realised that her father had been killed in an accident, and while her uncle was still alive, he was generally inaccessible, being in Italy.

Thus, Mia reflected with growing understanding, she was Clarisse's closest relative…. She couldn't imagine how Clarisse be feeling at the moment, with Mia missing! Thankfully, she had Joe with her and Mia knew that he would take good care of her grandmother…yet, the thought of them, Lily, Nicholas and her mother made Mia more determined to get out of this situation.

She stopped thinking as she heard the sounds of footsteps above her, but they quickly stopped once she had stopped shouting again. It was hopeless, Mia realised unhappily, so she tried to wriggle around in the chair, hoping that the ropes would loosen. However, the ropes only held firm, and she soon realised that she was giving herself rope burns on her wrists.

"Ow!" she muttered to herself, before trying the ropes tied around her legs, but quickly realised that the battle was futile. Whoever had tied these ropes was an expert.

She sighed, and leaned back in the chair, feeling the difference between this and her comfortable chairs- in fact, they reminded her of the chairs they used to have at school…only this one was wooden. She hoped that Lily and Nicholas had sounded the alarm when they realised she hadn't appeared- she felt like such a fool to believe the men who had helped her out of the shop, but they had been dressed in the royal bodyguard uniforms, and the smoke had been beginning to overwhelm her, so she had simply not questioned it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a squeaking of a door from above her, before a click of a switch suddenly filled the room with light, and she had to blink a few times to get used to the light.

She took a quick look around the room- it was a basement, although there was a narrow bed just a few meters away from her, which was obviously meant for Mia to use, before turning back to her captor. However, they were dressed in black clothes, their face was hidden by a mask, as they placed a tray of food on a table in front of her.

Mia looked at it disdainfully for a moment, and then back up at her captor.

"Who are you?" she said calmly- she may have been frightened, but she wasn't going to let them know that. Clarisse would have been proud of the way she was handling the situation.

There was no answer, as the captor moved to stand behind her and, she could feel, was beginning to untie the ropes binding her hands.

"Why have you taken me?" but, still, there was only silence.

"How long are you going to hold me captive?"

More silence- and Mia was getting frustrated at the lack of communication.

"You do realise that everyone will be looking for me, even at this very moment?" she said regally, trying to stare them down as her hands became loose, and she rubbed her sore wrists and shoulders.

The person only shrugged, and moved towards the stairs, before climbing them. It was just about to close the door behind them when she heard muffled voices from nearby and, instead of closing the door, he stepped aside and in came two more, masked people, who walked easily down the stairs.

"What do you want with me?" she asked, but couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear pass down her spine- they obviously meant business, but she hoped that they weren't going to kill her as they walked towards her.

"I'm sure there is some way we could…." She began slowly, before stopping as the two stood in front of her, and slowly removed their masks.

She gasped loudly when she saw who they were- this couldn't be happening! She couldn't believe it…..

"YOU!"

* * *

"You dreamt what?" Joseph gasped, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"I know," Clarisse said softly, tears threatening in her eyes. "But while I was Queen, I was constantly reminded of the fact that someone could get through the security and shoot either myself, Rupert or the boys. Not a very nice fact to tell a newly crowned Queen," she said with a wry smile. "But it was part of the protocol to warn the royal family of any potential threats."

"And it was in your memory until now…" Joseph held her closer, and stroked her hair softly.

"Yes…I was always afraid that something was going to happen to the boys….but Mia…" she choked back a sob, and reached for a tissue from her bedside cupboard.

"Why did it happen, Joseph?"

"I don't know, Clarisse. But there are going to be a lot of people looking for her from tomorrow, and they wouldn't have been silly enough to try and get her out of the country…."

He stopped, and looked at her thoughtfully. "Are you hungry?"

She looked at him, surprised. "Why did you ask me something like this?"

"I think you and I should go and raid the fridge- we haven't done that in a while- and I can imagine that, after having no dinner whatsoever, you will be feeling hungry."

"Actually," she began with a shy smile. "I am a little hungry now…and I think your plan is a good one."

Joseph hopped out on his side of the bed, and reached for his dressing gown. "Then let's go!"

Ten minutes later, clad in their warmest dressing gowns and slippers, and after sneaking through several secret passages, Clarisse and Joe arrived in the still warm kitchen.

"It's still warm in here," Clarisse said in wonder as she sat down on a chair at the table, as Joe walked over to the heating system, and turned it on.

"This will be warm in about 5 minutes, so we can be toasty warm while we're in here….I think I heard that the temperatures are going to keep dropping, right up until Christmas."

Clarisse nodded, her brows furrowing.

"I just hope that, wherever she is, Mia isn't feeling this cold air too much. I don't want her catching pneumonia or anything like that…."

"She wouldn't like it ruining her Christmas…" Joe teased with a smile, and Clarisse laughed.

"I know…do you remember the Christmas she was here, and she came down with the measles?"

Joseph, over by the coffee machine, stopped and thought for a moment, before grinning at his wife.

"That's right! She was grumpy the entire time she was in bed….made your maids lives a living misery…and then….

"Once she left, I came down with it," Clarisse said with a warm smile, remembering when she herself had been bedridden.

She had virtually run the country from her bed, and the only people that had been allowed to see her had been Charlotte, Joseph, Sebastian and her maids, all of whom had had the measles when they were children.

"You know, I don't think the boys ever had it- but I think Phillipe would have been a terrible patient."

"You weren't that terrific yourself, madam," Joseph teased as he took out two cups and saucers and brought them over to the table while Clarisse walked over and poured the boiling water into the teapot, and carried that over.

"I actually thought that I was very well behaved under the circumstances," Clarisse said mock haughtily as she sat down, and Joe laughed as he poured two cups of tea, before sitting down opposite her.

"Really? Well, I remember that you were always in a flurry when I came in, insisting that you were fully dressed when you saw me, and caused your maids no end of trouble! In fact, one day when you were trying to get dressed, you actually fainted and I caught you!"

"Yes, well….I was almost better then," Clarisse blushed, and took a sip of her tea. "Thank goodness I was only in bed for 10 days!"

"The longest 10 days of my life!" Joseph mock groaned, and Clarisse playfully slapped his closest hand before they sat in silence for a moment. Joseph could sense that her thoughts were going back to Mia, and he wanted to provide a distraction for her. He stood up with a flourish.

"So, madam…what would you like for your midnight…. (he quickly checked his watch)…."Yes, your midnight snack?"

Clarisse was momentarily surprised and then, sensing his motivation, had to laugh before joining in with the game.

"I don't know….what is in the refrigerator?" she asked regally, and Joe looked at her in surprise.

"Actually, I don't know….." he walked over to the fridge, and opened the door. "Let's see…..milk….leftover dinner from tonight….carrots….sandwiches….chocolate cake…."

"I'll have that, please," Clarisse smiled at him winningly, and he laughed.

"I don't like it when you do that- you do it so well, and completely captivate me," he said softly, walking back to where she was sitting, and giving her a long, sweet kiss.

"That's why I do it- how do you think I've got so many secret admirers?" she teased gently when they broke apart, and he only rolled his eyes.

"You and your admirers…you're not as irresistible as you think you are, Your Majesty!"

"Well, I only want to be irresistible to one person…and he's standing right here!" She beamed up at him for a moment, before breaking the moment.

"But, where is my cake? I'm starving!"

"Coming right away, Your Majesty!" Joseph hurried away back to the fridge, and he was soon placing a plate with a generous slice of cake in front of her.

"But what are you going to eat?" she looked at him in surprise, as he refilled their cups of teas.

"Well, unlike you, I actually ate my dinner….but I think I might have a tiny slice of that cake…."

Before long, they were both eating their slices of cake, and enjoying it.

"Feel better?" Joe asked gently, and Clarisse smiled at him

"Yes, and that was absolutely delicious….." she trailed off as she looked down at her tea for a moment, before looking back at Joseph, the smile disappearing from her face.

"Do you think that they will be able to find Mia? What did you mean by 'they won't leave the country with her'?"

"I meant that there is no way that they will be able to get her out of the country- the borders have been warned about it, as have all the ambassadors in all our European nations- even America has been alerted. The only ways people get out of Genovia is by plane or by car and, even then, there are checks….and Mia is a very high profile person in the country."

"But will they be able to find her?"

"Yes they will," Joseph said firmly- he didn't want to mention his plans to Clarisse, because he knew that if he went searching, she inevitably would want to come with him and, now more than ever, he wanted her safety to be top priority.

"I hope so…" Clarisse said softly, looking down at her hands. Joseph reached over and covered her hands with his, and she looked up at him, her eyes full of tears but she wasn't crying.

"Do you think you'll be able to go back to sleep now?" he asked as they put their empty dishes and cups into the sink, as Joseph turned off the heater, and they headed towards the door of the kitchen, the first secret passageway just opposite them.

"I think so…as long….."

"As long as what, my love?"

"As long as you're next to me."

"Of course I will be….don't you worry about that."


	5. The Secret Plan

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone who is enjoying this story- it's been great to write and develop. Almost reaching a critical point- who do you think kidnapped Mia?_

_The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me- but to Disney and Meg Cabot._

The next three days passed slowly, and without incident- the police had very little to go on, and the one person that several people had mentioned as a suspect- Viscount Mabrey- had an alibi for his whereabouts at the time of Mia's kidnapping. News of Mia's disappearance had spread across the country, and Europe, like wildfire, and there were constant news headlines with the 'latest' on the drama, although they didn't have anything at all. Thus, since they had no 'real news', they had started making up rumours and theories that also spread, such as Mia had been killed, or spirited out of the country or, even worse, Clarisse had planned it all along so that she could go back onto the throne. Clarisse had been incredibly upset at that insinuation.

"How can they possibly say that about me? Their former Queen, who served them diligently for years, and the grandmother of their current Queen?" she cried to Joseph when they had heard it on the television. Joe reached out and put an arm around her.

"Don't worry, darling. I know that there are many people out there who don't believe that- and they are the people. It's only the media trying to stir things up!"

"But…but…with an intimation like that? I thought there was something call journalistic credibility…and this was way out of line!"

She knew that Joseph was right, it was the media stirring up things, but she also knew that they were after something else- she hadn't been seen in public since it had happened, and they wanted to see a reaction (any reaction) from her. She looked at Joseph pensively, and then stood up and walked over to her desk.

"What are you doing?" Joseph asked curiously as she pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of her top desk drawer.

Her desk was always neat and tidy, unlike her Mia, she remembered with a smile as she looked at the blank piece of paper.

"I'm going to write a message that Lily can release for me. I know that they all want me to go out and publicly address them, but I can't…" her mouth trembled for a moment. "So, this will be my way of showing them that I care."

"You don't owe them anything," Joseph said as he switched off the television and stood up. "You are a grandmother in great distress, and if the press doesn't understand that…tough biscuits!"

"Still, as acting Queen, I should give them some type of message….." She was absorbed in her writing for a few moments, and then put her pen down with a flourish.

"There! Can you read this for me?"

"It would be my pleasure….."

"_There are no words to describe to how I, as a grandmother and Queen, am feeling at this moment. You are all missing a Queen, but I am missing my only granddaughter, whom I love dearly. This has been a terrible shock for all of us._

_However, I hope that you will understand that I need time and space, but I hope that Her Majesty will soon be returned to us, happy, healthy and ready to continue her reign over Genovia, the country that she loves._

"I know it doesn't say much, but…."

"Clarisse, darling, it's to the point, and what everyone needs to hear- you are a grandmother missing her granddaughter and, as such you need time to adjust…I am very proud of you!"

He pulled her up out of her seat, and put his arms around her, kissing her gently.

"Thank you, Joseph," she smiled gently at him.

Helen and Patrick flew in from America on the second day after Mia's disappearance and, Clarisse had to admit, Helen was holding up remarkably well.

"I'm just grateful that everyone has been supportive," Helen said as she accepted a cup of tea from one of Clarisse's maids, and sank into a chair. "So, have there been any leads?"

"No," Clarisse said as she sat down in another chair. "There was one suspect- Viscount Mabrey- but he had an alibi for the afternoon of her disappearance. There has been no further word from the kidnappers, apart from the ransom demand."

"But why would anyone want to kidnap Mia? I mean, she may have introduced some radical new reforms in her first few months, but it has only improved Genovia. And then have someone kidnap her….that's what I don't understand."

"Neither do I, Helen, "Clarisse said with a sigh as the two women sipped their teas.

"How are Lily and Nicholas coping?"

Clarisse actually hadn't seen them very much- despite the encouraging words she still had the feeling that they were avoiding her because they felt that they had let her, and Mia down. Lily was doing her tasks automatically- she felt Mia's absence clearly, as she was working for her-, didn't argue with anyone, and spent the rest of her time pacing Mia's suite.

Nicholas, on the other hand, was still his normal self, but Clarisse could sense that he was missing her, and feeling guilty about what had happened. But all they, and everyone else could do, was wait…..

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. We're just going to have to keep a close eye on the borders," the chief of police said as he closed his folder and stood up from the table. It was the third daily conference they had had, and he had said the same thing the previous two days.

* * *

"Thank you, Inspector. I'm sure you will let us know if there are any new developments," Clarisse said calmly, hiding her irritation and despair. If the police couldn't find Mia, then what hope was there for ever finding her…and being so close to Christmas Eve, no less? Christmas was the day after tomorrow, and no one would be working on Christmas, even to find the missing Queen.

She waited until the chief and his two senior officers had disappeared, before sighing and sitting back down in her chair, reaching for a glass of water. The room was silent as everyone present tried to gather their thoughts over the latest ineffectual meeting. Apart from Clarisse and Joe, also present were Helen and Patrick, Lily, Nicholas, Shades, Charlotte and Sebastian Motez. Some of the parliament had tried to insist on attending these conferences but, as Sebastian had pointed out, they would receive any news through himself or Charlotte. Clarisse looked at each of them for a moment- none of them looked particularly satisfied with what they had heard.  
Just then, Joseph, who had been sitting at her side, stood up and cleared his throat.

"I don't know what the rest of you think, but I'm beginning to think that the police are beginning to give up on finding her."

He didn't' look at Clarisse- he had told her what he had thought that morning, and she had agreed with him. She knew that he was worried about her- she had been on a constant roller coaster ride of emotions for the past three days- after her first terrible night of nightmares and tears, she felt more herself the following morning….

But doing Mia's jobs and not seeing her a million times a day (as she usually did) just made her feel depressed again and, every night, she had cried herself to sleep in Joseph's arms. She was grateful that everyone else thought that she was cool, calm and collected, but that only Joseph knew the truth.

She watched him as he glanced around the room- he had been such a rock and comfort to her in the past few days. He had kept her mind off the situation as much as possible, had brought her chocolate after yesterday's wearying session of parliament, and had stuck to her side like glue all day, keeping her calm. No one could protest about his presence in everything she was doing- they all knew that Clarisse relied on him, and needed him.

Joseph looked around the room- he could sense that Clarisse was irritated and depressed about the lack of clues and he was now, more than ever, determined to do some detective work of his own and find the young Queen himself. He had already discussed it with Sebastian, Nicholas and Shades, and they were both eager to help him. He had yet to break the news to Clarisse- now that Mia was missing, he didn't like leaving her alone and, although she was seemingly coping well, he knew that she was relying heavily on him.

"I have to agree with you, Joe," Sebastian began quietly. "Apart from Viscount Mabrey, the police have no other suspects- but what else can we do?"

"We cannot just sit here and let the police bumble around and do what they can, which isn't much," Nicholas, who had been sitting quietly, said, standing up from his side of the table. He still couldn't believe that Mia was missing, but what he was realising was that he wanted to be with her.

"What do you suggest we do, then?" Shades asked from his corner. "I know that this is extremely frustrating for everyone, but the police do know what they are doing."

He, too, was extremely frustrated, and was working alongside Joseph in making a plan, but he wasn't sure that Joe had told his wife his plan and, until then, he had to maintain a cool, reasoned response.

"I know you all don't like what the police are or are not doing," Clarisse spoke up. "But there is nothing else we can do at the moment. All we need to do is be patient."

But even she didn't believe the words she was speaking.

Just then, Nicholas's mobile phone went off, and he disappeared outside to answer it.

"I think it might be time to go and have a cup of tea," Clarisse stood up, followed by Lily, Helen and Charlotte, and began walking towards the door.

"Good idea!" Joe agreed, and Clarisse stood back and let the others go before her. Just then, Nicholas walked back into the room, looking perplexed.

'Could I speak to you for a moment, Joe?" he said in a low voice, and Joe nodded as he, Nicholas, Sebastian and Shades moved away from the chatting woman. Joe didn't notice that Clarisse had stopped talking, and was watching them carefully.

"I just got a phone call from Viscount Mabrey."

"What!?" the other three said in unison, but quietly.

"Yes, he rang and said 'I heard that the Queen was missing, and I wanted to see if I could do anything to help."

"What did you say?" Shades said quickly.

"I said that everything is organised, but that I appreciated the thought…" and he shuddered.

"I didn't mean that, though. Anyway, he wants me to come and see him tomorrow morning, around 10. He wants to patch things up between us."

Nicholas looked around at the three other men, and felt better when he saw that they were deep in thought.

"I thought that it was rather suspicious, as he hasn't been in touch with me for six months…." Suddenly, Joseph snapped out of his reflection and looked at Nicholas sharply.

"You're right- this is suspicious. I don't know what he's playing at, but I do know that you aren't going to see him alone. There is something more to this than meets the eye….I'm coming with you…."

"I'm coming too- I could always say that I have some final concluding items from parliament that I wished to discuss with him," Sebastian said decisively.

"Me too, boss," Shades piped up. "Do you want me to arrange a number of cars with some of my men?"

"I think so….but, Nicholas, we're going to have to talk about this later, in private…." Joe said, as he had glanced over to the women- who had not yet left the room- and noticed that Clarisse was watching them.

* * *

Later that night, in bed, Clarisse decided to broach the subject with Joseph- her curiosity had been piqued by that mysterious conversation between him, Sebastian and Nicholas. She had also been a little hurt that he had left her out, but she had her ways of getting things out of him…..

"Joseph?" she said, turning over to face him in the dark.

"Yes dear?"

"What are you and Sebastian planning?"

There was a slight pause as Joseph tried to think of a plausible lie- he knew that Clarisse had spotted them talking, away from the rest of them, and he silently cursed himself for not thinking about it earlier. Despite her depression and anguish over Mia, Clarisse was still a very sharp woman.

"We were just talking about going fishing once this has been sorted out…"and even he knew that Clarisse would see right through it immediately.

She chuckled softly in the dark.

"Fishing? In this weather? Joseph, surely you can do better than that!"

"Alright….." he stalled for a moment, then realised that he would have to tell her, particularly if they were away for most of the day. "Sebastian, Nicholas and I are going to Viscount Mabrey's….you were there when he got the call?"

"Yes!" She said excitedly, leaning up on one elbow, and looked down at him. "Do you think he has something to do with this?"

"Possibly- I mean, think about it. Mabrey hasn't contacted his nephew in over five months and now he suddenly wants to talk to him? I think that may be a little suspicious…..So, we're going out to see him tomorrow."

"I'm coming too," she said decisively, sitting up and turning her bedside light on. She smiled over at him, but he was unmoved- since the young Queen's (he sometimes had to remind himself that Mia was Queen) disappearance, Clarisse's safety had been his top priority.

"No, you're not…and don't flutter your beautiful blue eyes at me, it won't work this time!"

"Please?" she purred seductively, moving closer to him.

"Don't try that either, because it's not going to work," but, as always, her charm was beginning to melt him. Clarisse was smiling- she knew him just as well as he knew her, and she could tell that she was beginning to get to him.

"What will the weather be like?"

"Cold," Joe said firmly, hoping to put her off the trail.

"Well, I had better find something warm to wear!" she declared, before getting out of bed. "What time are we leaving?"

"Clarisse!" Joseph, still stunned from her first announcement, sat up on his side of the bed and switched on his light. "You aren't coming with us- this could get dangerous!"

"Why not?" she sounded like a petulant child, but she was still looking through her cupboard for something warm to wear- she had heard the weather report before, and it was going to be cold out at Viscount's place.

"Because….because, it's dangerous, and you don't know how Viscount Mabrey is going to react, or who else is going to be there!"

"So?" Clarisse turned from her cupboard and shrugged at him. "My granddaughter is missing, and if you're going somewhere where she may be, I'm coming with you."

"Now, darling," Joseph began in a conciliatory tone. "I don't think it's such a good idea for you to come out in this weather- it's predicted to be freezing tomorrow- and Helen may need you."

Clarisse turned and glared at him, more than a little annoyed. She loved him dearly, and appreciated all his attempts to protect her from harm, but if he thought that she wasn't going to be around when they found Mia….well, he had another think coming!

"Anyone would think that you don't want me to come at all!"

"It's not that, my love, it's just that security is already very tight around you, and I don't want to cause anymore incidents until we find Mia, safe and sound."

"Joseph Peter Bonnell…" she turned to face him, glowering, and he felt a little afraid- she only used his full name when she was really mad. "I am coming with you….otherwise….you can….you can…" she was searching desperately for something that she could hold against him. "You can sleep on the couch tonight!"

She grinned triumphantly at him, while he looked mildly shocked.

"You're trying to blackmail me, my darling wife! I thought you always said that Queens never stooped to blackmail or the like!"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," she said calmly, turning back to her cupboard. Joseph sighed heavily, and got out of bed, and walked over to her. He took the hanger out of her hand, and tossed it on a nearby chair while taking her hands.

"Clarisse, my darling," he began softly, leading back to her side of the bed. "I don't want to lose you…and who knows what Mabrey could do?"

"Joseph," she began calmly, but there was a tremble in her voice. "Mia is my only granddaughter, and my last link to Phillipe. Please understand me- my safety doesn't matter to me at the moment…all I want is to see her alive and well again. I know…I know tomorrow will be dangerous, but I….I can't let you go without me….."

He looked into her wide blue eyes, and felt himself melting- actually, he had been rather concerned how she would go without him there….and, if there was any danger, he would send her back to the palace with one of Shade's men. He sighed heavily

"Alright…on one condition. If there is one hint of danger, you are coming back to the palace with some of the guards, understand?"

Clarisse nodded, but he could tell that she was pleased with his decision.

"Now, since we're both going in the morning, I suggest that we get some sleep!"

* * *

By eight o'clock the next morning, Clarisse and Joe were ready and waiting for Sebastian, Shades and Nicholas in the front hall of the palace. Clarisse had left a message for the women that she was accompanying Joseph on his expedition, so she would be unavailable for the day.

When Joseph had informed Shades, he had been more than a little concerned.

"Doesn't she realise how much danger she herself would put herself in?"

"Yes, but you must understand that Mia is her only granddaughter and she doesn't want anything to happen to her. The safety and well being of Mia is tantamount to her- she loves her dearly- and I don't even want to consider the possibility of what could happen. Clarisse will be with me, so you don't have to worry about it."

"Fine," Shades shrugged, and went to prepare his men for another companion.

"So, how long will it take to get to Viscount Mabrey's estate? I haven't been there in a long time!" Clarisse asked, pacing the room, while Joseph, calm as a cucumber, sat patiently on the couch. He took her hand when she went past, and pulled her onto the couch next to him.

"It will take us about three hours, but we have also planned on how we are going to get in there….Nicholas has told us about a secret entrance at the back of the property and that's the way we're going to go in."

"Oh…" She was going to say more, but then the doors opened and in walked Sebastian, Shades, Nicholas….and Lily, all dressed warmly.

"Lily?" Clarisse said in surprise, although she should have known that Lily would go anywhere for Mia.

"Your Majesty?" Lily, equally surprised, said but she knew that Clarisse would do anything for Mia.

"Yes, we have got two more people coming with us," Joseph said to a slightly startled Sebastian, who quickly recovered.

"Right, well….Scott, do you have enough cars for everyone to go in?"

"Yes. My men are in three cars, but there are three for us…."

"Fine. Then let's go," Joe said briskly, taking Clarisse's hand and leading the group out of the suite.


	6. To the Rescue

_Author's note: I'm sorry this has taken so long to be posted, but I've been away. I'm also sorry if it seems like a very short chapter, with not much violence, but I didn't want to make it over dramatic. The next chapter may explain a few things…_

_The Princess Diaries belongs to Disney and Meg Cabot_

It was calm and relatively quiet trip down to Viscount Mabrey's estate- Shades, Sebastian, Nicholas and Lily were in the first car, followed by Joe and Clarisse in the second, with three car loads of security men bringing up the rear. Joseph had at first planned on going with the others but, as Clarisse and Lily had both decided to come, he decided to drive himself and Clarisse down. He had half expected Clarisse to sit in the back, but she had insisted on sitting in the front passenger seat, beside him.

"The only time I've sat in the front seat of a car is when Mia took me to that carnival in San Francisco," Clarisse laughed as they followed Shade's car out the palace gates.

"And that was the time when I was mad at you for going out without letting me know where you were!" Joseph retorted with a smile, remembering the panic he had got in when he had discovered that the Queen was absent, and had no security with her, before…a police car had shown up and Clarisse had stepped out of the backseat, looking rather pleased with herself.

"Oh yes, I remember that! Your expression when we arrived…..!"

"But you could have…could have…."

"Could have what, Joseph?" she sounded amused. "I know, I could have been kidnapped myself, but I very much doubt that there would be any use of kidnapping the Queen of a small country!"

There was a brief pause, before she gently touched his hand on the steering wheel.

"But I did appreciate your concern for me."

There was a long silence as Clarisse looked out the window, and thought about Mia. The girl had already endured enough since she had found out she was a princess, and now to undergo a kidnapping….! Clarisse wished, deep down, that they had taken her rather than the beautiful young woman with the world at her feet.

"Stop that…" she heard from beside her, and she turned her face to see him looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

" I know what you were thinking, and you shouldn't think like that. We're going to find Mia….do you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

"Then trust me when I saw that we're going to find the Queen."

"Alright, I'll believe you," Clarisse said and gave him a smile.

* * *

Three hours later, they arrived at the gates of Viscount Mabrey's estate and, while most of the security cars drove past, waited for the gates to open. Clarisse looked out the window curiously as they drove through the narrow, tree surrounded driveway- she had only been here a few times in her life, as the Viscount had been a friend of Rupert's. They rolled to a stop at the edge of the pebbled driveway 10 minutes later, near to an elegant mansion, and Clarisse hated to admit it, but she was impressed.

"What a beautiful place," she murmured as Joseph opened her door, and she stepped out. Although she didn't like the Viscount, she did appreciate the extensive work that had been done in his garden- the lawns were well taken care of, despite the winter months, and there were several empty flower beds in view.

He obviously had a very diligent gardener, especially one that mowed lawns at Christmas! She shook her head after a moment- this was no time to daydream…Mia's life could be at stake.

"Right- the boys and I are going around the back, and you will have to distract them as we make our way into the house," Shades said quickly. "They don't know that we're here…" The security men were driving in the back way, and Shades was meeting them around the back.

"Good luck!" he said before he dashed off around the side of the house, obviously unseen. Clarisse watched his disappearing figure, before Joseph put a hand on her shoulder.

"I think you and Lily should wait out here in the car," he said softly, as she looked at him with determined blue eyes.

"No- I've come this far, and I'm not going to hide out here!"

Joseph groaned inwardly- his wife could be very stubborn at times! But, he thought ruefully, it was one of things he loved about her. Besides, he couldn't imagine her waiting in the wings if something was going on inside.

"Fine, you both can come too- but I would like you to stay in the sidelines, unless necessary."

"That's fine with me!" Clarisse said cheerfully- Lily was somehow a little less sure.

"Nicholas, you go first and then explain that Sebastian and I accompanied you," Joseph turned to the young man, who nodded and then walked briskly towards the house.

"No one out here to meet him…very odd," Joseph said under his breath before he led the others towards the main door. Nicholas had obviously met his uncle in the front foyer, as he could hear people talking, before Viscount Mabrey exclaimed:

"Nicholas! Aren't you going to invite your guests in?"

Slowly, Sebastian and Joseph made their way to either side of Nicholas- Clarisse and Lily were still peering behind the door.

"Prime Minister, Joseph- good to see you," there was a note of false sincerity in his voice.

"But I don't think that's all of you- I believe Her Majesty Senior and a certain feisty best friend is hiding in the doorway!"

Joseph turned, inwardly groaning at the man's cheek, and signalled to the two women to join them. Lily stood next to Sebastian, while Clarisse stood beside Joseph, and he took her hand in his.

"Good morning Your Majesty," Mabrey's eyes lingered on Clarisse a little longer than everyone else, and she almost visibly shuddered. He may have been a friend of Rupert's, many years ago, but that didn't stop him from eyeing the King's beautiful wife from time to time. She unconsciously moved closer to Joseph, and the Viscount's eyes almost burned a venomous hole in them.

"Oh, I must pass on my congratulations to the new happy couple!" Mabrey said falsely, sneering at Clarisse and Joe.

"How on earth did you manage to marry her, Bonnell? Surely there would have been someone more appropriate…."

"Uncle…" Nicholas stepped in quickly before Joseph could say a thing. "Where is she?"

"Where is who?"

"You know who I mean…you've got Mia!" Mabrey looked at his nephew intensely for a moment, and then laughed.

"You're a regular little detective, aren't you? You and Bonnell here could win a competition!"

After he stopped laughing, the nasty smile still on his face, Mabrey turned and nodded to someone unseen in the next room, who dragged in a gagged and bound Mia. She looked dirty, and her hair was unkempt, but they seemingly had taken care of her. Her tear stained eyes met everyone's for a moment, before she was thrown roughly in a chair. Another of Mabrey's henchmen appeared from the next room and pulled a gun out of his pocket, before placing it at Mia's temple.

Clarisse couldn't help but gasp- this was the way her nightmare had begun! She only hoped that that it wouldn't all come true.

"Surprise!" said someone loudly, and the Viscount smiled happily around at everyone, before his eyes stopped on Nicholas.

Clarisse glanced at him- he had gone white, but his jaw was taut, and she could literally feel the anger emanating from him as Sebastian Motez held his other arm.

"Why? Why her?"

"Why? It was because of her, and those two over there," he shot a contemptuous look at Clarisse and Joseph. "That she became Queen of Genovia, and is ruling instead of you! You, a true born and bred Genovian, passed over for a half Genovian girl who didn't know she was a Princess till six years ago!"

He literally spat the last few words, and left no doubt in anyone's mind that he hated her for that. "You could have been King!"

"And what would have been in it for you, Uncle? The Prime Minister's position, maybe? But I think you just wanted the power to show off to everyone else!" Nicholas returned quickly, and the smile disappeared off Viscount Mabrey's face.

"Now listen, my boy," he began in a conciliatory tone. "Don't you ever wish that you hadn't turned the throne down? Surely, you are wondering what could have happened!"

"Uncle, you know that she is the best ruler for Genovia- I have seen her in action, and she is doing a far better job that I would have!"

"She's bewitched you," Mabrey sniffed.

"What are you going to do now, Mabrey?" Joseph spoke up softly, stepping up to stand next to Nicholas, quickly followed by Sebastian. "Nicholas obviously doesn't want the throne, and you have no legal heirs to the throne anymore…."

"Who is the next in line?" Clarisse asked, stepping up next to Joseph. "I obviously don't qualify anymore, not being a royal by blood, but I don't know who's next."

"The Von Trokans," Sebastian said from Nicholas's other side. "But they won't agree to this, no way."

"Oh, I don't know…" Mabrey began thoughtfully, circling the calm but clearly frightened Queen, as a gush of pride surged through Clarisse at how she was acting.

"I think, given the right persuasion, they would give their claim to someone else…."

He nodded again to his henchmen, who disappeared for a moment, and then came back with a partner, both of whom were dragging a person….the Baron and Baroness Von Trokan, both of whom were tied up and gagged.

Clarisse gasped, and then looked over at Sebastian.

"Why didn't you say anything about them being missing?"

"I didn't know myself till this morning."

"And, after a little time, they are willing to give up the claim for me…" Mabrey continued as he smiled spitefully at the two cowering people.

"But, you would need someone to be on the throne…" Joseph said thoughtfully.

"Yes…and I have the perfect man in mind….my son, Ronald…" and, from the next room, came a tall, dark haired young man who looked exactly like his father. Nicholas almost lashed out, but both Joseph and Sebastian were keeping a firm hold on him.

"How dare you!" Nicholas shouted, as Ronald smiled coolly around the room, and then stood next to his father.

"But we have, Nicky old boy, and the plan has worked perfectly…."

"What do you mean perfectly…what's going to happen to Mia?"

"We'll kill her," Ronald said casually, wandering over to Mia, and smiling maliciously at her.

"Not while I've got breath in my body!" Clarisse stepped away from Joseph, and glared at them.

"Besides, why….."She trailed off when she realised that she had been meant to come today…it had been a trap.

"You won't be killed of course, Your Majesty, but I thought that you deserved a little time to say goodbye to your last living relative," Ronald smiled coolly at her, and Clarisse almost thought that she would faint. They were going to kill her- and they wanted her grandmother to watch?

Just then, there was a small noise from one of the rooms, and Clarisse could feel Joseph's arm guide her back towards him.

"So, any last words to Her Royal Highness?" Mabrey said sarcastically before Shades and his men raced in through every entry and grabbed a man, followed quickly by the police.

Shades wrestled the gun away from the masked henchmen, before several police men wrestled them to the ground.

"NO! NO!" Viscount Mabrey shouted in rage, before two policemen pinned him against the wall, followed closely by his son. Nicholas, meanwhile, had raced over to untie and ungag Mia, as she smiled at him and then hugged him. Sebastian was untying the Von Trokans who, as soon as they were free, both hugged him.

"Are you alright?" Joseph whispered in Clarisse's ear, over all the noise and excitement, and she turned to him with tears in her eyes.

"She's safe, Joseph!"

She was going to say more, but then Mia was at her side, and literally threw herself into her arms as Clarisse openly cried.

"I thought Queens were never supposed to cry," Mia teased when they broke apart, and she saw her tear stained face.

"They are when their only grandchild is found!" Clarisse cried, before pulling her in for another hug.

"I love you Grandma," she heard the girl whisper into her ear.

"I love you too," she replied emotionally, before Mia gave Joe a quick hug and then moved onto Lily, who was sobbing almost as hard as Clarisse.

"Feel better?" Joseph pulled her closer, and she snuggled in to his arms.

"Much better," she said as they watched Viscount Mabrey, his son, and his 7 henchmen handcuffed and walked out the door. Viscount Mabrey managed to look back once, but all he saw were Joe and Clarisse smiling happily at each other.


	7. Mia's story & a surprise!

_Author's note: Here's a little more detail from Mia's perspective! I hope you are all enjoying it, and thank you to all those reviewers for your kind comments!_

_The Princess Diaries belongs to Disney and Meg Cabot._

After Viscount Mabrey and his entourage were hauled away, the group had to stay for a little while as the police wanted to conduct interviews. The Von Trokan's ordeal had obviously shaken them up as they chatted pleasantly with Clarisse and Joe as they waited for their turns to be interviewed.

"I think they've finally realised that they are never going to be on the throne," Clarisse murmured under her breath after Joe and Clarisse emerged from the interview room (Mabrey's study) and met up with the younger people.

"Joe? Can I borrow your phone to ring Mom?"

Mia, who had washed her face in their absence, asked and Joe easily tossed his phone to her. Clarisse watched in amazement as Mia easily worked the phone and, seconds later, was talking to Helen.

"I don't understand how young people can work all this technology," Clarisse commented as they walked out to the main hallway- their car was being driven closer to the doors. "I have enough trouble trying to work a CD player!"

"I can see that I'm going to have to introduce you to a lot of gadgets, "Joe teased and she could only laugh at him.

As soon as Shades came in, it was the signal that they could leave, and Joe led the way, followed by Clarisse and the younger generation.

"Why, it's snowing!" Clarisse exclaimed when she stood on the stone steps, and Joe offered her his arm. "It wasn't when we arrived!"

"Yes, but we have been inside for nearly three hours," Joseph said after consulting his watch.

He helped her into the car, and walked around the car to his side, meeting Mia, who was holding out his phone.

"So, we'll see you back at the palace?"

"No, I'd much prefer to come with you two now," Mia said honestly, pulling her jumper tighter around her body. "The further away I am from this place, the happier I'll be."

Joe nodded understandingly, and opened the back seat door for her as she grinned at him.

"You're quite the gentleman, aren't you Joe?" she teased before stepping into the car. Joe was about to close the door when he heard a shout from behind her.

"HEY! WAIT FOR ME!" as Lily quickly ran down the stairs and caught up to the car. "I want to come too!"

"And me too," supplied a voice from behind Joe, and he turned to see Nicholas standing there. "That is, if you don't mind," he added tactfully.

"Fine with me- I think Mia would be better with all her loved ones around her," Joe said as Lily slid in the already open door, while Nicholas jogged around the other side and sat on the other side of Mia.

"My, my, my," Mia was saying as Joe got behind the wheel. "I never realised how popular I was!"

For a few kilometres it was a quiet trip, as everyone thought about what had just happened, before Lily asked, rather shyly:

"What happened?"

It was the exact question that had been on Clarisse's lips, but she didn't want to intrude…but now, that Lily had asked the question, she turned awkwardly in her seat to face Mia. She still couldn't believe that they had found her, even as she looked at Mia.

"Did they look after you properly?' she asked anxiously. "You don't have to answer that…."

"Don't worry, Grandma," Mia said calmly, reaching forward and patting her gloved hand. "I've already told the police, and you were all next in line…Okay…."

She took a deep breath. "I'll have to go back to when I actually found out who had kidnapped me. Before then, I was in the dark, and I think I must have been unconscious….."

"Unconscious!" the rest of the car's occupants practically shouted, and Mia smiled weakly.

"Yes, I think they knocked me on the head…but it doesn't hurt anymore, honest," she said as Clarisse and Joe exchanged a look. "Anyway, back to when I found out my hosts…."

* * *

"YOU!" Mia gasped in disbelief as the two masked men took off their balaclavas, and she was faced with Viscount Mabrey and an unfamiliar younger man although, judging by the similarity of their looks, he was obviously related to the Viscount.

"Good evening Princess," Mabrey sneered, tossing aside his balaclava and leaning in to smile at her. Mia, repulsed at the sight of him, leaned as far back in her chair as it could allow- she had never thought that she would ever see him again. His estrangement from his nephew had been permanent- Nicholas had made it clear that he didn't want to see him again.

Nicholas had also told her the truth about how they had tried to sabotage her, but she had long since forgiven him, knowing that there had been someone else behind it.

"What's wrong, Your Highness? Aren't you happy to see me?" he smirked as he watched her reaction.

"It's Your Majesty," she said coldly, and he pretended to look contrite.

"I'm sorry, _Your Highness_, but I can't recognise the current monarch of Genovia. Oh, I believe you haven't met my son, Ronald!"

He stepped aside and the younger man stepped forward with the same unctuous yet venomous smile as his father.

"Very pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Highness," he said as he bowed mockingly to her, before standing up and looking her directly in the eye.

"What do you want with me?" she asked calmly, trying desperately to maintain a façade of confidence, but she had the feeling that they knew how scared she was.

"That isn't very nice, Princess," Ronald gently chided her. "We went to a great deal of trouble to get you here, and you instantly demand to know what we want with you!"

"Well, what do you want?" Mia repeated as the two men glanced at each other and shrugged.

"Well, "Mabrey began, sitting down in a chair opposite her. "You have caused me an awful lot of trouble- first accepting your title, then deciding you wanted to become Queen, and then bewitching my nephew against fighting for his rightful title.

When my former nephew turned down the title, I was very angry and didn't want anything to do with him or Genovia. But, my son," he waved his hand airily in Ronald's direction. "Convinced me that the people clearly didn't know what they wanted, and it was up to us to fight for them."

"But Nicholas made it very clear that he didn't want to be ruler."

"True," Mabrey acknowledged. "But since that ungrateful brat didn't want the title, I knew I had to think of someone else who could become King if something happened….to you."

Mia suddenly felt more chilled in the cold room- were they really going to kill her?

"The Von Trokans are next in line after me, "she said softly. "But I don't know whether they would willingly give it to you- they want it for themselves too badly."

"Again, good point Your Highness. Who would accept a paltry million dollars in exchange for the crown of Genovia? So, we're going to have a friendly chat with them…and that's all I will say for now."

"What about Nicholas?"

Both father and son's features visibly hardened- clearly Nicholas was still a no go situation.

"He betrayed the man who raised him by falling in love with the Princess- ungrateful brat!" Ronald Mabrey snorted in disgust. "However, he will get his comeuppance after…."

He trailed off, and Mia didn't even want to imagine what they were going to with him.

"Anyway, Your Highness, "Mabrey said after a pause, standing up and stretching. "I just thought we would pop down and say hello….I hope your surroundings will be comfortable for you….Good night!"

Ronald Mabrey only smirked, and then followed his father up the stairs and turning off the light as he disappeared through the door, leaving Mia in complete darkness.

* * *

The next three days were nightmarish in quality for Mia- although they gave her food and drink three times a day, the basement was freezing cold most of the day, and they only tossed a few blankest down to her when she complained. She was tied to her chair during the day, but they untied her at night, to allow her to sleep in the bed but, they warned her, if she tried to escape, she would be sleeping in her chair.

They did, however, bring in the television for her to watch the coverage of her disappearance- both father and son took some kind of narcissistic pleasure in seeing everything that was mentioned about the kidnapping. They thought it was hysterically funny when the reporters decided that Clarisse, jealous of her granddaughter's popularity, had engineered the whole thing.

"I don't think that woman ever had an intelligent idea in her head," Mabrey said after they had watched the news- that was another bad thing, they never left her to watch the television alone.

"I guess she thought that, when she married Rupert, that she wouldn't have to do much for the rest of her life! And she didn't…even her reign was rather dull! But she was a stunner though….when she was young!"

"And now look what's happened- she's married way below her on the social scale!" Ronald said, laughing. "We could pin it all on Joseph, you know. Who knows whether he became close to the Queen just for the friendship, or maybe to become King himself?"

Thankfully, they left after that news report and, amazingly, allowed Mia to watch some other shows on her own. It was lucky that they had left- Mia had been ready to explode after hearing what they had said about her grandmother and Joe!

Some of the henchmen, Ronald in particular, had also tried to convince Mia that Nicholas was no good and, when they were married, would try to insist that he was the proper King.

"That's the sort of thing the two faced young man would do! He probably tried to keep me off the scent," Mabrey said huffily on one occasion. "Unfortunately for him, I knew what he was up to…"

He paused for a moment, and then went on in a completely different branch of thought- it seemed that he had a slight grudge against Rupert.

"But I thought I would get more than a lousy position in parliament after many years of friendship with Rupert! He wasn't that good a friend anyway- the only reason I was his friend was to catch a look at that stunning but dumb wife of his…"

On the third day of her imprisonment, she was staring mindlessly at the television screen, secretly beginning to despair whether anyone would find her, when father and son came down and stood in front of the television. Both of them were smiling with glee.

"We're going to have a few more visitors tomorrow, on Christmas Eve…Your beloved Nicholas is coming!" Mia's heart lifted at the mention of Nicholas's name, and she looked up into their faces.

"Does he know that I'm here?"

"I suspect that that annoying bodyguard husband of your grandmother's has helped him out, and is probably insisting on coming. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Her Majesty came too….she always was rather feisty!" The last words were said with a slight tinge of admiration mixed with malice.

"That would be perfect, Father. Because, then, she would have a few moments to say goodbye to her last surviving relative!"

There was a long silence, and then the Viscount looked up with a nasty smile.

"Perfect, my boy! She'll surely crack when she sees Her Highness killed, before we deal with the Von Trokans, Nicholas and Joseph, if necessary, and then….the country is ours!"

As they left, laughing, Mia shrank into her chair- they were going to kill her tomorrow, and there was nothing she could do. Even worse, her grandmother was going to be forced to watch her death!...

* * *

"And, of course, you all know what happened this morning!" Mia finished simply, glancing around at her horrified audience. There was a long silence as each of them tried to digest the incredible story that Mia had told them.

Clarisse shifted in her seat, and looked out at the snowy landscape- she had suspected that Mia wouldn't be cared for properly if the Mabrey's had kidnapped her, but she hadn't imagined how psychologically cruel they would attempt to be. She also suspected that Mabrey had only been friendly to Rupert because of her, and his ambitions, but she definitely didn't like the derogatory remarks made about herself and Joseph.

"Thankfully it's all over and done with now," Joe finally said, glancing in the rear view mirror at Mia, and then smiling over at his wife. He had hated hearing about Mia's imprisonment, and had burned with anger at how they had spoken about Clarisse and Nicholas, but Mia was obviously much more resilient than they had given her credit for.

"I'm just sorry that you had to put up with them, " Nicholas said quietly, looking out the window, before Mia took his hand, and made him look at her, the way Clarisse often did with Joseph.

"Nicholas, you are nothing like them. You never were, and I'm grateful for that," Mia said calmly, before leaning over to whisper in his ear as Lily, Clarisse and Joseph pretended to be invisible.

* * *

As the car stopped in front of the palace, they all saw Charlotte and Helen waiting in the doorway before rushing down the stairs when the car stopped completely.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" Helen half sobbed as she threw her arms around Mia, who winced slightly at Helen's embrace. Helen felt the wince, and pulled back to look at her daughter.

"Did I hurt you?"

"I'm just a little sore on the ribs…I must have fallen out of bed several times during the week- my bed here has spoilt me," Mia joked weakly as she smiled at her mother, and then over at Charlotte.

"It's great to have you back safe and sound, Your Majesty," Charlotte said with a weak smile before Joseph took control of the situation.

"What are we all standing around here for? I think we'd better get in out of the snow!" Joe said briskly as Mia giggled.

"Still the same Joe, always ordering us about!"

"She hasn't lost her sense of humor," Joe muttered under his breath as he and Clarisse followed them into the palace.

"She is a Renaldi, remember?" Clarisse teased before she stopped and turned in the doorway to look out at the winter wonderland- the snow was beginning to fall harder. She squinted slightly at the gates- for once, there were no press corps pressed against the fence.

She turned to Charlotte and was about to ask, but her former personal assistant had anticipated the question.

"Prime Minister Motez has gone straight to his office to make a statement. He told me to tell you both that he will handle everything for the next week or so…although it's the holidays anyway…The statement is going to say that Her Majesty has been found safe and well, and the Palace would appreciate everyone keeping their distance for the next few weeks. Oh, and that you will still be Acting Regent until some time when Her Majesty is ready to take over."

"Good," Clarisse said with a firm nod of the head. No one would be bothering Mia for a little while, and she was more than happy to stay acting regent. She yawned discreetly as she and Joe followed the others up the stairs.

"Tired?" Joe murmured in her ear, and she smiled at him.

"A little."

Joe stopped for a moment, considered the situation, and then made a quick decision.

"Mia?" he called upwards and Mia turned at the top of the stairs with a happy face, and waited as they climbed the stairs towards her. "Your grandmother and I are going to rest for a while, if that's alright."

Mia's already bright smile brightened at his words.

"Fine with me. I never expected you to come all that way just to rescue me…and I will always be grateful for that." She hugged him a little carefully, before turning to her grandmother. She only suspected how much Clarisse herself had suffered in the past week, and it only made her appreciate the fact that Clarisse came to rescue her too.

"Thank you. You didn't have to come with Joe- it could have been just as dangerous for you!"

"I know that, but it was worth it," Clarisse said a little huskily, before Mia hugged her. "You are going to have those ribs seen to, aren't you?"

"The doctor is waiting in Mia's suite, "Helen piped up as they stopped in front of Mia's suite.

"We'll let you go then…see you later, " Clarisse said as they walked past the doors, and headed down towards their own suite.

* * *

The whole country celebrated the return of the Queen that night, and people were still celebrating into the next morning, which was Christmas Day, while the Queen recovered at the palace. Viscount Mabrey and his son, on the other hand, spent their Christmas in the cold jail cell in Pyrus, with an emergency hearing scheduled for Boxing Day. Having given their evidence the previous day, neither Clarisse nor Mia were expected to attend.

"But I bet that the press will be there anyway, just in case," Lily said with a wry smile as they watched television after lunch, and everyone had gathered in Mia's suite.

"Of course they will. You don't think that the Mabrey's will allow a perfect publicity opportunity pass them by…although in this case…." Joseph said with a tinge of sarcasm, and everyone laughed.

"I'm so glad I wasn't in that basement today- I checked the temperature, and it's below zero!" Mia said from her favourite chair, where she was bundled in a pile of blankets. She has sustained no serious, permanent injuries from her abduction, apart from a severe lump on the head, several cracked ribs and some bruising. Even more amazingly, she hadn't caught a cold from the cold room she had been in, and the doctor was confident that the emotional trauma would be minimal.

"We're very glad that you aren't in that basement," Clarisse said, leaning over from her nearby chair and patting Mia's hand. Mia smiled over at her, and they shared a look before Nicholas, who was sitting next to Joe, stood up nervously and cleared his throat. Everyone looked at him, before he took a deep breath and got down on one knee in front of Mia.

"I wasn't sure when I was going to ask you this, but I realised that, when you were missing, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Despite the fact that I am, unfortunately, related to criminals…..will you marry me?"

He opened the tiny jewel box in his hand, and Mia gasped- inside was a small, but flawless diamond ring.

"Yes, I will marry you," Mia said softly, throwing aside her blankets and throwing her arms around him. "Only, there's one condition," she added when they broke from their kiss and, for a moment, Nicholas looked worried.

"I don't want to wait. I want to marry you soon- I've already had the glittering wedding, which my grandmother used to her advantage," she threw a teasing look at a teary eyed Clarisse.

"But I just want to marry you, no dramatics and no major celebrations…and definitely no more than 20 guests!"

They all laughed before Helen and Clarisse stood up and moved over towards Mia, who also stood up, looking radiant.

"You don't mind, do you, Grandma that I'm going to have a quiet wedding?" Mia looked at her worriedly after they embraced, and Clarisse only laughed.

"I only care about your happiness, my love. Who cares whether it's in the church in Pyrus, or in the Winter Palace chapel? All that matters is that you are happy!"

"That's a great idea, Grandma! Just so we can get the press off the scent, let's have the wedding at the Winter Palace! I know that there's a small chapel nearby, and we can have a small reception at the palace! Do you think the Archbishop would be willing to do that?"

"Mia," Joe spoke up from behind Clarisse. "If the Archbishop said 'finally' when your grandmother and I were married, I can see no reason for him to turn you down. He is a very reasonable man."

"But when are we going to do it?" Lily spoke up from the floor, and Mia looked pensively at her before her face split into a wide grin.

"New Year's Day. It's the beginning of a whole new year, and I think it's perfect for the beginning of a whole new life!"

"We'd better get some champagne then!" Lily said hurriedly, disappearing outside and reappearing a minute later with the two maids carrying two trays of glasses and a bottle of celebration.

"To Nicholas and Mia!" they all chorused once they had each been handed a glass, toasting the obviously happy couple.

"To the best kept royal secret since…..Grandma and Joe!" Mia added cheekily, laughing at Clarisse's red face.


	8. Happily Ever After

_Author's note: I'm sorry I have taken so long to finish this chapter, but I've been really busy with studying and all that, and I wanted to get this right! I hope you enjoy the conclusion of my story…now it's time for me to begin another!_

_NB: The Princess Diaries belongs to Meg Cabot & Disney; the song lyrics also don't belong to me!_

_Song lyrics: 'When You Say Nothing at All' (Ronan Keating)_

'_The Way You Look Tonight' (J Kern & Dorothy Fields)_

The next six days passed quickly and busily for everyone involved in the wedding- after choosing the date and the place, they had spent the rest of Christmas afternoon discussing details.  
"I'd like you to be my matron of honour, Grandma, " Mia said during a lull in conversation, and Clarisse had been moved to tears. "And Joe, I'd like you to walk me up the aisle," she added shyly, and Joseph could only clear his throat gruffly, as Clarisse knew he did when he was embarrassed and didn't know how to convey his feelings.

"Thank you," he finally said when they left, giving her a squeeze. Clarisse was delighted to see how much Joe meant to Mia.

"I thought Queens weren't supposed to be escorted up the aisle," he said to Clarisse as they walked into their suite.

"This is different- I think Mia is quite fond of you, darling," Clarisse chuckled, touched at how obviously flustered he was. "Besides, I think you look handsome in a tuxedo, and here's an opportunity to show off!"

"What if other women thought I looked handsome in it?" he teased, and she pretended to look angry at him.

"I could be very nasty if I wanted to be…."

"No, you couldn't," Joe contradicted her, pulling her close for a hug. "That's one of the things I love about you- how always nice and kind you are…although, that may have changed since we got married…."he pretended to tease her, and she only playfully slapped his arm before walking over to stand by the fire.

She stared at the flames for a moment, as it finally dawned on her…she spun around and looked at Joe, her eyes and face lighting up with a look Joseph loved to see.

"Mia's getting married!"

True to Joe's prediction, the Archbishop had no problems whatsoever marrying Mia and Nicholas at the Winter Palace chapel. He had given Clarisse and Joe a significant look as they left, and they were under no qualms about what he meant- he fully endorsed their marriage, and had been relieved when they had finally admitted their feelings, culminating in the wedding.

Sebastian Motez had been overjoyed at the news, and had immediately accepted Nicholas's request to be his best man.

"This will be fun…keeping a secret from the press and parliament for an entire week," he said with a smile, but there was no doubt that he supported the move.

While he was Nicholas's best man, Lily was Mia's bridesmaid, and gaining three dresses had been the trickiest part of the secret. However, Clarisse had had a trick up her sleeve- her personal dresser had been summoned to the palace and, after signing an iron clad confidentiality agreement, had made adjustments to the dresses Mia, Lily and Clarisse had chosen and promised to have them ready by New Year's Eve.

Viscount Mabrey and his son, meanwhile, had spent a cold Christmas in the city jail, before an emergency hearing on Boxing Day. The results for them had been grim- they were released on bail, but they weren't allowed to leave the country, and their trial had been scheduled for late January. The charges against them were extremely serious, and the media speculated that they could possibly receive jail sentences. However, Mia, too happy and busy with her wedding plans, didn't care about the speculation, although she was kept informed with what was happening.

* * *

It was a cold New Year's Eve when, unnoticed by the people of Pyrus and the press, four cars (not limousines) left the palace grounds and headed north, in convoy, towards the Winter Palace in Lybitt. Following the convoy, at a discreet distance, were the six security cars- even though Mia had been found, there was still tightened security about the Queen, the former Queen and the Prime Minister.

"Do you think anyone will guess where we're going?" Clarisse asked as Joe, who had insisted on driving again, followed the car containing Mia.

"I don't think so- judging by this weather, I assume everyone is staying inside until the end of January, at least," and Clarisse giggled at the joke. "How is the bride to be, anyway? I've been too busy organising tuxedos with Nicholas and Sebastian."

"I don't think she's the slightest bit nervous…I guess because she went through all this before, and then it ended in an anticlimax…she looks so beautiful in her dress."

"I know I'm not allowed to see what she's wearing, but what about you? Can see what you're going to wear?"

"No," Clarisse said definitely, shaking her head. "It's bad luck for anyone to see the bridal party's dresses before the wedding."  
"Why? I thought the saying was it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding!"

"Yes, but I made up the other one. I want to give you a surprise tomorrow!" she smiled winningly at him, and he pretended to heave a sigh of resignation.

"Fine. Next thing I know, you'll tell me you're staying overnight with the bride and bridesmaid!"

"No, but I will be leaving our suite first thing in the morning, to help her dress. The next time you will see me is at the church, ahead of you up the aisle!"

"So, I won't see you when I come to get Mia to the church?"

"No! Can't you just wait for the surprise?"

* * *

Two and a half hours later, they arrived at the Winter Palace with even less fanfare than when they had left the main palace, and less staff- most of them, not expecting the Queen, were on their Winter holidays, which suited Mia's plans to perfection. Clarisse was looking forward to relaxing in front of a fire with a cup of tea, but Mia had seen the snow and declared that it was the perfect time for a snow fight, boys against girls.

"No, you can't get out of it!" she had said when Clarisse had tried to gently decline, and Clarisse soon found herself facing off against Joseph.

"Mia, is this such a good idea?" she heard Helen call from the other side of Mia, and Mia only laughed, before shouting:

"FIRE!"

While everyone else instantly got into the spirit of snowballing each other, Joe and Clarisse just looked at each other.

"I don't think I want to throw a snowball at you," Joe admitted after Clarisse stood up from tying her shoelace, before walking over to her. She smiled in relief- that was what she had been hoping for.

"I'm glad you're not because….I DO!" and she threw the snowball she had made while 'tying' her shoes at his face.

"Why you…." He sputtered, wiping snow off his face and looking around to retaliate, but Clarisse had taken off, heading in the direction of Mia. "I'm going to get you for that, Your Majesty!"

"You have to catch me first!" she called back before receiving a snowball in the back "Amelia!"

"Ha, ha," Joseph laughed from behind her, and Clarisse only laughed harder as she continued her escape from Joseph.

However, she had forgotten that she hadn't done a lot of running in the past few years, and she was quite out of breath when she met the front gate. She turned around and saw that Joseph was still on her tail, although throwing snowballs in other directions as he went.

"I'm sorry, Joseph," she smiled charmingly, hoping to disarm him, as he got closer and closer to her, and he only laughed.

"I love to see how you react when you're cornered…you try to disarm them with your smile!" before he got close enough to throw the snowball that hit her squarely in the face.

"I was quite good at making snowballs in my time,' she said, almost to herself as she bent down to make one quickly, before throwing at Joseph, catching him off guard.

It was an enjoyable afternoon but, after an hour, almost everyone was frozen and the snow was beginning to fall harder.

"Let's call it a truce," Joe said when Clarisse cornered him for the tenth time, a snowball in each hand. He had suspected that Clarisse had enjoyed herself, but he was surprised at how good she was- obviously she had played with the boys when they were little.

"Good idea, I'm cold," she relented, and dropped the snowballs onto the ground before accepting his proffered arm. They had just turned toward the palace when they heard Mia shout from behind them:

"Hey, where are you two going?"

"It's cold…"Clarisse began as they turned to face her, and were rewarded with snow in their faces.

"We surrender!" Joe shouted before taking Clarisse's hand and making a dash for the palace.

"See you tonight, Grandma!"

"What is she talking about?" he asked when they slowed to a walk.

"Mia is having a mini hen's night tonight- but I definitely won't be late!"

It was just after ten when Clarisse let herself back into the suite- it had been a fun evening, but Lily, Charlotte and Mia were planning on staying up all night while Clarisse, Helen and Sheila Motez retired.

"Don't forget, you have a big day tomorrow," Clarisse called over her shoulder as she left the room. She was just delighted to see how happy Mia was, and how the kidnapping had obviously not affected her.

"Have a good night in?" Joseph asked as she sat down on the couch next to him. Unlike them, the men had decided to have a quiet night in, playing cards but Joseph had retired early on, just in case Clarisse returned early.

"Yes…we played some silly game I've never heard of…'Truth or Dare' and I got stuck with Truth!"

"What did you get asked?"

"Well…"she stalled, blushing a deep red as Joseph sat up and looked at her interestedly. "I got asked how long I had been in love with you."

"And what did you say?" he teased as she blushed even more.

"I said…from almost the first moment I met you," and she looked down at her hands, her cheeks a brilliant red. Joe, genuinely touched and thrilled, tipped her chin up and looked into her big blue eyes.

"Really?"

"Yes," she smiled at him before he kissed her tenderly. After the kiss, he put his arms around her, and she snuggled in close to him.

"What's on television?"

"Not much…I've been flipping channels most of the night."

"That's what I used to do on New Year's Eve, when Rupert was alive," she said with a sigh.

"I know…I always seemed to know what you were doing…."

"You spy," she laughed, and then leaned her head against his shoulder. "What time is it?"

"About 10:30…why? Do you want to see the New Year in? Our first as husband and wife…."

"No, although I would love to…I think I might go to bed early," she stood up and stretched. "We have a big day tomorrow….."

* * *

It was still snowing heavily the next day as Mia looked nervously out of her suite window- she was slightly surprised that she was feeling like this. Her last almost wedding had ended unexpectedly, and she knew that there would be no one there to judge her, but she was still very nervous….

"Why am I nervous?" she asked, turning to look at her waiting bridesmaid and matron of honour. Clarisse was wearing a brand new, pale blue wool dress with the sapphire necklace and earrings that had been Mia's Christmas present, with a matching heavy coat hanging over a chair.

Mia had been surprised to find that Clarisse had already opened it, but was happy when she had seen how much Clarisse loved them. Lily was also wearing a wool dress, only in a dusky pink colour, and Lily had wrinkled her nose when she had first seen them. But they all knew that Lily was only joking, and that she was proud to be Mia's bridesmaid again.

"You're taking a big step today, Mia, and it's understandable that you should be nervous," Clarisse said from her favourite chair by the fire.

Clarisse had liked the other dress Mia had worn, but she thought that Mia looked absolutely beautiful in the wedding dress she was wearing that day. It was a sleeveless white dress, with beading on the bodice, an A line skirt (similar to the other dress) and her shoulders and arms were covered with white, transparent sheath.

"Were you nervous when you married Joe?" Mia sat down in a chair opposite Clarisse, mindful not to get her dress wrinkled. Clarisse's face softened at the mere thought of her wedding to Joseph- although it had been an unexpected surprise, she considered it one of the happiest days of her life.

Her wedding to Rupert, on the other hand, had been a blur- barely eighteen, she had been terrified at the thought of marrying the heir to the throne, whom she had barely known. They had been very tentative friends on the day of the wedding, and the friendship had developed over time, but it was the day she had first met Joseph that Clarisse really knew what it was like to fall in love.

He had looked kind and easygoing, and she had been surprised to find how quickly she settled in his presence, knowing that whatever he saw would not go to the King. He had seen her tears, anger, joy and disappointment, and it had been a wonderful day when she had found out that he loved her too. But their wedding….it had been the culmination of many years of denial and secrets.

Mia, watching her grandmother's dreamy face, knew how much she loved Joe, and it made her a little sad to think that they had had so many years of denying their feelings, for the sake of the country. Clarisse suddenly shook her head, realising that Mia was waiting for an answer.

"It was wonderful, Mia, and I wasn't at all nervous…I guess I knew that I had always been meant to be with Joseph, and it only been a question of when."

Charlotte glanced at her watch, and discreetly coughed.

"Your Majesty…Clarisse," she corrected herself with a smile. "It's time we were going- Joe will be back in about ten minutes…"

"That's right!" Clarisse gave a start, before walking over to retrieve her coat. She wanted to really surprise Joseph, and couldn't wait to see the look on his face. Mia, Charlotte and Lily had happily gone along with the charade.

"I'll see you at the church then," she said, turning to look back at her granddaughter, and then stopped. There was so much she wanted to say, but she didn't have the words to express what she was feeling. Mia seemed to sense it, as she smiled radiantly at her.

"We'll be there- and I don't think Joe will let me be late- even if it's tradition!"

* * *

The small group of guests were already waiting in the church when Clarisse, Lily and Charlotte arrived. Shades, Nicholas and the Archbishop were already standing up at the altar, while the other guests (Helen, Patrick, Sheila and two sets of maids, along with the security detail) were sitting down.

"I never thought I would see Mia marry so quietly," Clarisse said honestly as they stood outside, in the hall, waiting for Joe and Mia to arrive. "But she's so happy…this may mean more to them…."

"You deserved the other wedding," Charlotte said, a little shyly. In the past few months, since she had no longer been under Clarisse's employ, she had begun to regard Clarisse as a good friend, and it was obvious that the former Queen felt the same way. Still, it was a little awkward at times….

"I'm glad you're happy now."

"Thank you, Charlotte," Clarisse smiled at her fondly. "I don't ….oh my," she interrupted herself by looking towards the door. Standing there were Mia, her veil swirling around her face, on the arm of an extremely handsome, tuxedo clad Joseph. Charlotte smiled, and then followed Joseph's gaze- it was clear that Joseph was almost overwhelmed by the way Clarisse looked.

"You look…you look beautiful," he managed to say as they joined the two women near the doorway. "No wonder you didn't want me to see you!" before he stepped past Charlotte and kissed her, not caring that they were in front of Charlotte and Mia.

"You know, you're not suppose to upstage the bride," he joked once he had stepped back, and looked her over again.

"And you're not supposed to be eyeing other women when you have to escort the bride up the aisle," Clarisse retorted that the colour in her cheeks heightened. Although it was a relief to be openly affectionate to each other, it was still in her mind that royalty shouldn't show affection in public.

They lined up according to plan- Lily was first, followed by Clarisse and then Mia and Joe.

"By the way, we don't have the traditional song today…we've found a different song," Mia said simply as two security men opened the doors, and each of them stepped through to the sound of music….

Up the altar waited a clearly stunned Nicholas, with a beaming Sebastian beside him.

"_It's amazing _

_How you can speak_

_Right to my heart._

_Without saying a word,_

_You can light up the dark._

_Try as I may, _

_I can never explain_

_What I hear when _

_You don't say a thing_

_The smile on your face_

_Let's me know _

_That you need me._

_There's a truth _

_In your eyes_

_Saying you'll never leave me_

_The touch of your hand says_

_You'll catch me_

_Whenever I fall_

_You say it best_

_When you say nothing at all"_

They got to the altar long before the song ended, and after Mia and Nicholas stepped toward the Archbishop, Clarisse turned to smile at Joseph, who simply mouthed 'I love you.' Clarisse, blushing hotly, replied the same but didn't notice that Mia was watching them with a smile.

_  
_"We are gathered here…" the Archbishop began, and Clarisse turned back to watch the ceremony. Clarisse and Joe looked at each other often, with warm smiles, remembering their own wedding day, and how much they loved being married to each other…..

"I now pronounce you husband and wife…you may kiss the bride," the Archbishop smiled at the young couplestanding in front of him, and Nicholas lifted Mia's veil before giving her a tender kiss. Clarisse had tears in her eyes, and Helen was teary eyed in the front pew. After the marriage certificate was signed, Mia and Nicholas headed back down the aisle, followed by Clarisse and Joe and Lily and Sebastian.

"I guess you and I paired together now," Joe murmured as they met at the top of the altar.

"I think so too," she beamed at him as he kissed her gloved hand before linking it into his arm and following the bride and groom.

* * *

Outside, the temperature had dropped even further in an hour, so it was decided that all photos and congratulations would wait until they were back at the palace. The Winter Palace had their own limousines for the occasion, so the bride and groom took the first one, Clarisse and Joe were in the second, and the others followed in the other cars.

"I don't know how I'm going to get used to being chauffeured about all the time," Joe said once he had shut the partition between them and the driver, and leaned back in his seat.

"It's actually quite easy- I've been doing it for years," Clarisse teased him, before he leaned over and kissed her again. "What was that for?"

"You looked so beautiful in there…it wasn't fair to the bride that you were almost as lovely as she was," he smiled, taking her hand in his.

"Stop, you're embarrassing me," Clarisse said with a shy smile, looking down at her lap and blushing. He pulled her face up again, and looked at her intently in the eyes.

"You are one of the most beautiful women I know and you deserve to be told that every day- you've gotten used to not being told that, but that's going to stop now!"

The reception was simply a quiet lunch- Mia and Nicholas had decided to have a major reception once they returned from their honeymoon in the Caribbean, in two weeks, and their flight was late that afternoon while Clarisse was, in the meantime, still acting regent.

"I can't believe that Mia is married now," Helen said as they waited in the main hallway to say goodbye to the newlyweds.

"Before too long, you two will be a grandmother and great-grandmother, respectively," Joe supplied helpfully, and Clarisse threw him a startled look, before laughing.

"Great-grandmother! I hadn't thought of it that way!" she laughed, before he whispered into her ear

"You don't look like a grandmother," and she beamed at him before turning to see that Mia and Nicholas had appeared at the top of the stairs. They spoke to everyone briefly, leaving Clarisse and Joe until last.

"You two have a wonderful honeymoon," Clarisse said as she hugged Nicholas, and then turned to Mia, who was smiling luminously at them.

"Thank you both for all your support- not only for today, but not giving up when I was missing. I don't know what I would do without you all!"

"We are family," Clarisse said soflty before Mia threw herself into Clarisse's arms for a hug.

"Will you tell parliament the news?" Mia said with an impish smile when they pulled away, and Clarisse's eyes sparkled- she couldn't wait to tell them the news.

"With pleasure, my darling!"

All too soon, in a shower of confetti, the happy couple were driven back to the airport in Pyrus.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Joe said with a sigh as everyone stood around in the hallway- it seemed oddly empty with Mia there.

"I think I just want to go home," Clarisse said with a sigh.

"Your wish is my command, madam," Joe said, and headed upstairs to get their bags.

* * *

Two and a half hours later, they arrived safely back at the palace, with no one from Pyrus or the press none the wiser as to where they had been.

"Although we will have to tell them eventually," Clarisse said as she sat down on the couch in front of the fire. "But I won't think about it again until tomorrow- I think I will have an early night tonight," she yawned.

"I think that sounds like a good idea… but, since we didn't get to at Lybitt, would you do me the pleasure of dancing with me?" Joe stood in front of her, his hand out, and she smiled tenderly at him before standing up and taking his hand.

"I would be honoured, Mr Bonnell."

He led her out into the middle of the floor, and switched on the CD player with a remote control. Clarisse listened to the tune for a moment, and gasped when she realised what the tune was.

"It's our song!" she cried with delight, her eyes filling with tears. "You remembered!"

"_Someday,  
When I'm awfully low  
And the world is cold,  
I will feel a glow just thinking of you  
And the way you look tonight._

_Yes, you're lovely  
With your smile so warm  
And your cheek so soft.  
There is nothing for me but to love you  
Just the way you look tonight._

_With each word your tenderness grows,  
Tearing my fear apart.  
And that smile that wrinkles your nose,  
Touches my foolish heart._

_Lovely,  
Never, never change.  
Keep that breathless charm.  
Won't you please arrange it, 'cause I love you  
Just the way you look tonight  
Just the way you look tonight."_

"I love this song," she said softly as they continued swaying in perfect unison when the music stopped.

"I love you," Joseph murmured into her hair, before stepping back and reaching into his pocket. "I was meaning to give this to you on Christmas Day, but with all the excitement…here you are!"

He handed her a small, velvet jewel box and she opened it slowly, gasping when she saw what was inside. Sitting comfortably in the box was a small but perfectly flawless diamond ring. It was smaller than the ring that Rupert had given her, but this one meant so much more to her…not only because it was smaller, but because it came from Joseph.

"I know I didn't get around to doing this…and I don't have to….but will you marry me?" Joe asked, kneeling (despite his knees) in front of her. Clarisse looked from the ring to him, her eyes filled with tears.

"Of course I will…I already have….yes!" she kneeled down in front of him, and gave him a tender kiss. "But…" she added teasingly. "Can you put it on for me?"

"Yes, I will," and he slipped the ring on her third finger, next to the gold wedding band he had given her on their wedding day. "But…can you help me stand up?"

"Of course," she replied as she stood up, and then offered a hand to him.

"So, Mrs Bonnell," he said when they were standing, facing each other. "Do you think we will live happily after now?"

"Let's just see…" she said teasingly- there was one more thing she had to take care of before they were living happily ever after….

* * *

Just over a week later, Clarisse found herself standing in front of a room full of anxious and almost angry parliamentarians. They were rather confused- they had heard that the young Queen had been found, safe and well, and that the Mabreys were awaiting trial for her kidnapping, yet Her Majesty had not been seen or heard from since then. Even the press were beginning to wonder why the young Queen hadn't been seen in public.

"Perhaps the rumours about Her Majesty Queen Clarisse were true…or that Her Majesty Queen Mia is still too traumatised from the experience," some journalists, including Elsie Kentworthy, had speculated only that morning, before a press statement had been released from the palace saying that more information would be released that afternoon. Clarisse and Joe had laughed at the rumours.

"I can't wait to hear what Mia will say when she hears this," Joe said with a laugh as he switched off the television.

Now, as Clarisse looked around the room, she took a deep and breath, preparing to make her announcement. It wasn't a particularly long parliament session, and this was her last announcement- Mia would be back for the next session. She looked over at Joseph, sitting in the public gallery, and he smiled encouragingly at her.

"Her Majesty Queen Clarisse Renaldi would like to address this honoured body," Sebastian, sitting next to her, boomed and rapped his gavel sharply. The noise instantly quietened the crowd- they knew that they were about to find out where their young Queen was.

"As you know, my granddaughter, Her Majesty Queen Amelia, was kidnapped by Viscount Mabrey and her son the week before Christmas, but was found on Christmas Eve."

She paused for a moment, and glanced at Sebastian, who was giving her a furtive grin through his beard.

I am pleased and proud to announce that, on New Year's Eve, Queen Amelia and Lord Nicholas Devereaux were married at the Winter Palace chapel in Lybitt, but they will be returning from their honeymoon in the next few days."

There was a long silence before the entire room exploded into shouts and talking, as the parliament tried to understand that their Queen had married quietly in Lybitt, and both the acting regent and the Prime Minister had managed to keep the secret for nearly two weeks.

"I'll leave it in your capable hands," Clarisse murmured to Sebastian, who grinned and nodded, before she slipped quietly out through a back door. She walked through the secret tunnel, and as she opened the panelled door, she met face to face with Joseph.

"Well…you certainly left a bombshell and a half in there," he grinned as he took her hand. She laughed.

"I know- that's what Mia wanted me to do, and Sebastian is perfectly capable of handling them for me…oh, but I did love doing that!"

They walked along the hallway in silence for a little while, before Clarisse stopped and looked at Joseph.

"Ask me that question that you asked last week."

"What- will you marry me?"

"No, the other one."

"Oh…do you think we'll live happily ever after?"

She beamed at him, leaned forward to give him a kiss and then whispered softly in his ear…

"I think so….actually, I know so!"


End file.
